[Early diagnosis of prostate cancer using free/total prostate-specific antigen ratio with population-based screening data].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the use of free/total prostate-specific antigen ratio (fPSA/tPSA ratio) in improving the early diagnosis of prostate cancer.


METHODS
fPSA/tPSA ratio in the serum was analyzed prospectively in 187 men with tPSA ranging between 4.0 and 20.0 microg/L. All of them underwent ultrasound-guided sextant prostatic biopsies. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated by SPSS 10.0 software.


RESULTS
Prostate cancer detection rates were 18.1% and 22.5% when tPSA was within the ranges of 4.0-10.0 g/L and 10.0-20.0 g/L respectively. fPSA/tPSA ratio was more significant than tPSA in all the men. When the cut-off value of fPSA/tPSA ratio was set at 0.25, 90.5% and 87.5% of cancers could be detected; and 26.7% and 11.3% of biopsies could be avoided within the tPSA ranges of 4.0-10.0 g/L and 10.0-20.0 g/L, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of fPSA/tPSA ratio can improve prostate cancer detection and reduce unnecessary biopsies when tPSA is within the range of 4.0-10.0 microg/L and 10.0-20.0 microg/L.
Zhang
Ling
L
Research Center of Prostate Disease Prevention and Treatment, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. zhanglingmail@sohu.com
Ji
Guoyi
G
Li
Xiaomeng
X
Wang
Weihua
W
Gao
Hongwen
H
Pan
Yuzhuo
Y
Wang
Hongjun
H
Masaaki
Kuwahara
K
Zhao
Xuejian
X
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen