Biomarkers That Differentiate Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia from Prostate Cancer: A Literature Review.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Current prostate cancer detection relies on serum total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) and digital rectal examination, which have limited accuracy.
• These limitations lead to over-diagnosis and unnecessary invasive biopsies, highlighting a need for improved diagnostic tools.
• Distinguishing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) from early-stage prostate cancer remains a clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review research from 2009-2019 on biomarkers for differentiating prostate cancer from BPH.
• To identify promising biomarkers and assess their potential for clinical application in primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published research papers.
• Focus on studies reporting biomarkers identified in urine, serum, tissue, and semen.
• Evaluation of biomarker candidates for their ability to differentiate between prostate cancer and BPH.

Main Results:

• Hundreds of potential biomarkers were identified across various sample types.
• Many candidate biomarkers require further validation before clinical implementation.
• No single biomarker has proven definitively superior for differentiating prostate cancer from BPH.

Conclusions:

• Multivariate panels combining biomarker candidates with clinical parameters are essential for validation.
• Risk prediction calculators incorporating these panels can improve patient stratification in primary care.
• This approach offers tangible benefits for patients and healthcare systems by enabling more accurate diagnosis.