Serum level of prostatic specific antigen in 100 patients with prostatic biopsy

Objective. To define the PSA levels (Prostatic Specific Antigen) in our pat ients with benign or malignant prostatic biopsy. Methods. 100 patients with clinical suspicion of prostatic carcinoma (high levels of PSA and/or abnor mal findings at digito-rectal examination) and who underwent a prostatic ne edle biopsy were reviewed. Results. There were 66 benign and 34 carcinomas. The median PSA was 11.2 ng/mL in the benign cases and 45.6 in cancer. In c ases with small increases in PSA (4-9.9 ng/mL), 94% were benign; there was stilt a majority of benign cases (63%) in patients with a PSA of 10-29.9 ng /mL. Only in those with levels of 30+, malignancy was a majority (81%). Con clusions. There was a considerable overlap of PSA levels in our benign and malignant patients, and only values of 30+ ng/mL were highly suggestive of carcinoma. Our levels are higher than those informed in the literature and may have been due, at least partly, to the source of our reagent kits for P SA assays (Cedex from France and Diagnostic Products Corp from the U.S.).