Enzyme tests in diseases of the prostate

Enzyme tests in diseases of the prostate focus primarily on the use of serum acid phosphatase assays in patients with suspected or histologically proved adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The purpose of this review is to consider various potential clinical uses of the assay, to examine the data available concerning the performance of the test in given clinical situations and to define those situations in which the test is actually useful. Included in this discussion will be sources of false positive and false negative values, predictive values of the test in clinical settings and efforts to minimize shortcomings.