title: Significance of prostate specific antigen in prostate cancer patients and in non cancerous prostatic disease patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the significance of prostate specific antigent (PSA) and scan in prostate cancer patients and in non cancerous prostatic disease patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out in Radioimmunoassay (RIA) lab, KIRAN Hospital, Karachi during 2002 to 2006. A total of 149 serum samples were collected in which 93 samples were biopsy positive prostate cancer patients referred to KIRAN hospital for treatment. The other 56 samples were collected from patients having other prostatic diseases and advised PSA tests by physicians and urologists from 'The Lab' Karachi. The PSA (total) was measured by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) in which two monoclonal antibodies against two different epitopes of PSA molecules were used. The results were correlated with bone scan and age of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 149 patient samples were analyzed in which 93 were from biopsy positive prostate cancer patients and 56 from patients having other prostatic diseases. Out of 93 prostate cancer patients sample, 74 (79.6%) had elevated PSA level (>4 ng/ml) and 19 (20.4%) had PSA within normal range (<4 ng/ml). Among 74 elevated PSA level cases, 48 (64.8%) had a positive bone scan and 26 (35.2%) had negative bone scan. Minimum age recorded was 40 years (Mean age 66.4 +/- 9.1 years). In fifty six (56) serum samples which were collected from 'The Lab' and having other prostatic diseases, 49 (87.5%) had PSA within normal range (< or =4 ng/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prostate specific antigen has a significant role for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (and has a significant correlation with bone scan). Immunoradiometric assay has a sensitivity of 79.5% and specificity of 87.5% for prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanif
authors.forename: Parveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.forename: Samreen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Idrees
authors.forename: Sheikh Ajaz
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rasool
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen