[Improved diagnostic evaluation of prostatic neoplasms using radioimmunoassay for prostatic acid phosphatase]

Better diagnosis of prostatic cancer by RIA of serum prostatic acid phosphatase? The results of serum determination of RIA prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and enzymatic serum phosphatase were compared in 267 patients with the clinical diagnosis to reveal the diagnostic value of the RIA-PAP in prostatic carcinomata. In 33 of the investigated patients (12.4%) we found elevated values of the PAP over the normal range of 0--5 ng/ml. In these 33 patients with pathologic PAP-values those with adenomata and in adenomata intracapsulated prostatic cancers had normal serum values measured enzymatically. There was no correlation between PAP-RIA results and the stage of the prostatic carcinoma. In nearly 20% we found better information by RIA-PAP than enzymatic laboratory tests, but combined with a digital investigation.