Tumor marker α-fetoprotein receptor does not discriminate between benign prostatic disease and prostate cancer

The α-fetoprotein receptor (RECAF) is a proposed novel tumor marker for detecting several different types of tumors, including prostate cancer (PCa).

The aim of the study was to evaluate RECAF in discriminating benign prostatic conditions from PCa and to compare it with prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

A total of 64 patients with elevated serum PSA levels and/or abnormal digital rectal examination of the prostate referred to a tertiary center for transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy of the prostate were prospectively enrolled in the study from January 2009 to April 2010. Serum RECAF, total PSA (tPSA) and free PSA (fPSA) concentrations were measured. The results were correlated with histopathologic findings using the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis χ2 test.

The median RECAF concentration was 5.34 U/L in the benign pathology group of patients and 4.72 U/L in the malignant pathology group. The difference was not statistically significant. RECAF density, tPSA and fPSA concentrations and tPSA density were significantly different between the benign and malignant pathology groups (p = 0.033, p = 0.000, p = 0.002 and p = 0.000, respectively). RECAF concentration and RECAF density did not differ significantly in the subgroups of PCa patients stratified according to Gleason score, predominant primary Gleason grade or maximum primary Gleason grade, but in predominant secondary Gleason grade and maximum secondary Gleason grade, significant differences were found (p = 0.007 and p = 0.004, respectively).

The results of the study did not confirm the RECAF tumor marker as an alternative way to discriminate between groups of patients with benign prostatic conditions and PCa, and its concentration and density do not differ among PCa histopathologic groups.