PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN LEVELS 2 MONTHS AFTER HORMONAL MANIPULATION OF METASTATIC PROSTATE-CANCER

Objective: To assess the prognostic significance of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels before and during therapy in patients with metast atic adenocarcinoma of the prostate receiving hormonal manipulation. M ethods: The PSA levels before and during treatment, together with vari ous clinicopathological parameters, were measured retrospectively in 4 8 patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer. The progno stic importance of these measurements was analyzed by both univariate and multivariate techniques. Results: PSA levels 2 months after treatm ent were the most useful predictors of progression-free (p = 0.004) or cause-specific survival (p = 0.006) in a multivariate Cox proportiona l-hazard model including histologic grade, age, performance status and pretreatment hemoglobin. Conclusions: We have found that a low PSA le vel 2 months after treatment is prognostically superior to conventiona l clinicopathological parameters, such as histologic grade, in patient s with metastatic prostate cancer undergoing treatment by hormonal man ipulation.