Measurement of prostate specific antigen in detection of benign or malignant breast disease in women

Using a highly sensitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay, we have evalu ated the measurement of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a potentia l diagnostic test for differentiation between women with breast cancer and those with benign breast disease. In a controlled study consisting of 284 w omen with well-documented patient files and matched for age and long-term p lace of residence, serum samples collected from 90 women with histologicall y confirmed breast cancer, 94 women with benign breast disease and 100 cont rols were analysed. Serum total PSA levels in benign breast disease and can cer patients are not statistically different from those of healthy controls . Total PSA levels decrease with age in normal controls and breast cancer p atients but not in those with benign breast disease. The total PSA concentr ation decreases after menopause in healthy women, though not in patients wi th breast cancer or benign breast disease. Total PSA bore no relation to th e histological type or grade of the tumour or the disease stage of the brea st cancer patients. In benign breast disease, all mastopathy patients had n ormal total PSA, whereas elevation of the values was observed in 7% of fibr oadenoma patients. Our results show that serum total PSA cannot be used to distinguish between healthy women and/or women with breast cancer or benign breast disease.