Characteristics of baseline PSA and PSA velocity in young men without prostate cancer: Racial differences

Baseline prostate specific antigen (PSA) and PSA velocity used to stratify subsequent prostate cancer risk in young men may not directly applicable to all populations. We sought to compare the baseline PSA and PSA velocity among ethnic groups.

Chinese, African-American (AA), and Caucasian-American (CA) men aged ≤50 years old without prostate cancer were used to identify baseline PSA and PSA velocity. The differences of baseline PSA and PSA velocity between races were assessed. The important cutoffs of baseline PSA and PSA velocity were used to stratify patients among races.

Four thousand two hundred six Chinese, 997 AA, and 2,030 CA were included. The rates of baseline PSA of ≥1.0, ≥2.5, and ≥4.0 ng/ml was 24.4%, 4.2%, and 2.1% in Chinese, 30.7%, 5.2%, and 1.8% in AA, 29.7%, 5.3%, and 2.8% in CA, respectively. The rates of PSA velocity of ≥0.35, ≥0.75, and ≥1.0 ng/ml/year was 6.0%, 3.1%, and 2.6% in Chinese, 5.3%, 2.3%, and 1.7% in AA, 5.4%, 3.5%, and 3.3% in CA, respectively. Chinese had a lower baseline PSA and higher PSA velocity as compared to AA and CA. Baseline PSA and PSA velocity in AA had no statistical differences as compared to CA.

The distributions of baseline PSA and PSA velocity in young men among Chinese, AA, and CA races are different. These characteristics shall be taken into account when using these variables to stratify risk of prostate cancer in young men.