Role of prostate-specific antigen velocity in prediction of final pathologic stage in men with localized prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity prior to radical retropubic prostatectomy was evaluated to determine if men with a faster rate of rise in PSA have locally more extensive prostate cancer.


METHODS
Of 368 men who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy, 82 had two to seven PSA measurements between 1.3 and 6.7 years before prostate biopsy for evaluation of PSA velocity. PSA velocity and the pretreatment parameters of PSA, Gleason score, and T stage were evaluated as predictive parameters of pathologic stage.


RESULTS
In men with pathologically organ-confined disease, PSA velocity was 1.12 ng/mL/yr; in non-organ-confined cases, it was 1.88 ng/mL/yr. There was a statistically significant relationship between a Gleason score of 7 and above and the pathologic extent of disease. There was no statistically significant relationship between T stage, the PSA at diagnosis, and PSA velocity with respect to final pathologic stage.


CONCLUSIONS
PSA velocity is not a strong predictor of pathologic stage in men with localized prostate cancer.
Thiel
R
R
Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-2101, USA.
Pearson
J D
JD
Epstein
J I
JI
Walsh
P C
PC
Carter
H B
HB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen