Prognostic significance of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for prostate-specific antigen in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prognostic significance of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA in the blood of men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC).


METHODS
Peripheral blood was obtained from 193 men enrolled on Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study 9480, a prospective randomized comparison of three doses of suramin. RNA was isolated from the samples and assayed for the presence of PSA transcripts by RT-PCR.


RESULTS
RNA could be isolated in 156 (83%) of samples. PSA transcripts as measured by RT-PCR were detectable in 75 (48%) of the 156 patients. The median survival for those patients in whom no transcripts were detectable was 18 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 14 to 22 months) compared with 13 months (95% CI, 11 to 15 months) (P =.004) for those in whom transcripts were detectable. In a multivariate analysis in which other factors predictive of survival were used, RT-PCR for PSA provided independent prognostic information.


CONCLUSIONS
RT-PCR for PSA predicts survival duration in a population of men with HRPC.
Kantoff
P W
PW
Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Department of Adult Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA. philip_kantoff@dfci.harvard.edu
Halabi
S
S
Farmer
D A
DA
Hayes
D F
DF
Vogelzang
N A
NA
Small
E J
EJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013498:Suramin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013498:Suramin; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen