Point-of-care PSA testing: an evaluation of PSAwatch

We present a new quantitative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assay using a portable, point-of-care test (PSAwatch) and reader system (BioScan) for measuring PSA concentrations in the range from 0.5 to < or =25 microg/l. Blood samples from patients (n=199) were submitted for laboratory PSA and also evaluated using PSAwatch and the BioScan system. PSA concentrations in 188 men were < or =25 microg/l and studied. Correlation between the two methods was good (R(2)=0.88) with a standard error of 1.588. The regression line had a bias of -0.02 at the concentration of 4.00 microg/l. This is the first report of a quantitative, portable, point-of-care PSA test and reader system. PSAwatch may reduce the number of hospital visits for patients with prostate disease.