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Updated: Jul 21, 2026
13:19
Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
Longitudinal evaluation of prostate-specific antigen levels in a case-control study
F De Biasi1, D Londero, S Praturlon
1Institutes of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital, Udine, Italy.
European Urology
|January 1, 1996
Summary
The rate of change in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, known as delta PSA, is a more effective indicator for detecting prostate cancer in asymptomatic men than PSA levels alone. This finding aids in early diagnosis and discrimination between benign and malignant prostatic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Prostate carcinoma incidence has doubled, yet mortality rates are low, questioning the benefit of early diagnosis.
- Prostate cancer is curable when detected early (intracapsular).
- Age is a risk factor for prostate pathology, necessitating methods to differentiate healthy, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the most effective method for early prostate cancer detection.
- To compare the diagnostic utility of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and their rate of change (delta PSA).
Main Methods:
- Serum PSA levels were measured in 435 men in 1987 and 1992.
- Men with PSA > 4 ng/ml in 1992 underwent sequential diagnostic tests, including biopsy.
- Biopsy results served as the gold standard for prostate cancer diagnosis.
Main Results:
- PSA levels alone (< 4, 4-10, > 10 ng/ml) did not differentiate benign from malignant prostate conditions.
- Delta PSA (rate of PSA change over time) significantly discriminated between benign and malignant pathologies (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Delta PSA is a superior parameter for identifying prostate cancer in asymptomatic individuals.
- This finding supports the use of delta PSA in early prostate cancer screening protocols.
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