Comparative Study of the Clinical Usefulness of Prostate Specific Antigen and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase in Prostatic Disease

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Abstract
The clinical usefulness of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) activity measurements has been compared in 45 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 132 patients with prostatic carcinoma (PC), 21 of whom had metastatic disease (MPC) and 111 of whom had intracapsular cancer. No BPH patient had increased PAP but 47% had increased PSA. Of the PC patients only 27% had increased PAP and 70% increased PSA. All of the MPC patients had increased PSA but only 62% had increased PAP. Increased PAP was found only in MPC but increased PSA was also found in BPH. In identifying PC, the predictive value of an incresed PSA concentration is 83% and an increased PAP activity is 100%. On the other hand, the predictive value of a normal PSA concentration is 51% and of a normal PAP activity only 34%. As the PAP test is much less efficient than the PSA test, it should be discontinued.