Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) as a prognostic aid in human prostatic carcinoma

Serum levels of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) in serum, the presence or absence of skeletal metastases, tumor grade, patient age, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were determined in 50 patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma before onset of any therapy. Crude survival rates were estimated for a 5-year period after the time of diagnosis. The prognostic value was estimated by means of the log rank test and multivariate life table analysis. The TPA, PAP, tumor stage, and ESR all appeared to be useful as prognostic markers. Tumor grade and patient age were not significantly related to crude survival. The TPA proved to be the most reliable prognostic marker in single test estimates as well as in a multivariate life table analysis (p less than 0.01).