Detection of prostatic cancer by solid-phase radioimmunoassay of serum prostatic acid phosphatase

We compared our radioimmunoassay with the standard enzyme assay for prostatic acid phosphatase in the diagnosis of prostatic cancer. Serum samples from 50 controls, 113 patients with prostatic cancer, 36 with benign prostatic hyperplasia, 83 with other cancers, 20 with gastrointestinal disorders and 28 with total prostatectomies were randomized and studied by radioimmunoassay and enzyme assay. When the upper limit was set at 8.0 ng per milliliter (mean + 4 S.D.) the radioimmunoassay diagnosed prostatic cancer in 33, 79, 71 and 92 per cent of the patients with Stage I, II, III and IV disease. In contrast, the enzyme assay detected elevations of enzyme in the serum of 12, 15, 29, and 60 per cent respectively. No false-positive results were detected by either assay in normal controls but the radioimmunoassay test was positive in two patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, in one patient after total prostatectomy, in nine with other cancers and in one of the group with gastrointestinal disorders. In contrast to the enzyme assay, the radioimmunoassay distinguished over half the cases of intracapsular prostatic cancer.