[Prostatic specific antigen (PA) in mass screening for prostate cancer]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Prostate cancer screening relies on accurate tumor markers.
• Prostate-specific antigen (PA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) are established markers.
• Comparing their efficacy in mass screening is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic utility of PA and PAP in prostate cancer mass screening.
• To investigate the correlation of PA and PAP levels with age and prostate size.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples from 2,183 patients undergoing prostate cancer mass screening (1987-1990) were analyzed.
• PA levels were measured using the E test "TOSOH" II.
• Prostate size was assessed via digital rectal examination (DRE) and ultrasound tomography (US).

Main Results:

• Both PA and PAP correlated with age and prostate size (DRE).
• PA showed a stronger correlation with prostate size (US, r=0.53) than PAP (US, r=0.20).
• With an upper limit of 6.0 ng/ml, PA achieved 64% sensitivity, 97% specificity, and 62% efficiency.
• PA was more sensitive than PAP, with no prostate cancer patients being PAP positive and PA negative.

Conclusions:

• PA is a more sensitive and reliable tumor marker than PAP for prostate cancer screening.
• PA demonstrates significant utility within mass screening programs for early prostate cancer detection.