title: Applicability of biomarkers in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer.
abstract: Early diagnosis of prostate cancer can increase the curative success rate for this disease. Although serum prostate-specific antigen measurement is regarded as the best conventional tumor marker available, there is little doubt that it has great limitations. The threshold above which biopsies are indicated has now decreased to a serum prostate-specific antigen value of 3 ng/ml, which results in a negative biopsy rate of 70-80%. This can readily be explained by the fact that prostate-specific antigen is not specific for prostate cancer. Clinicians need more sensitive tools to help diagnose prostate cancer and monitor progression of the disease. Molecular oncology is playing an increasing role in the fields of diagnosis and therapy for prostate cancer and has already been instrumental in elucidating many of the basic mechanisms underlying the development and progression of this disease. The identification of new prostate cancer-specific genes, such as DD3PCA3, would represent a considerable advance in the improvement of diagnostic tests for prostate cancer. This could subsequently lead to a reduction of the number of unnecessary biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. D.Hessels@uro.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hessels
authors.forename: Gerald W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Verhaegh
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schalken
authors.forename: J Alfred
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Witjes
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C411762:RASSF1 protein, human; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000217:Acyltransferases; D019098:Telomerase; C043403:fatty acyl ethyl ester synthase; C473848:FOLH1 protein, human; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II; D007610:Kallikreins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C421305:TMPRSS2 protein, human; C055645:hepsin; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases; C108352:alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase; D000095002:Delta Catenin