Abstract

Background and objectives Study of prostatic lesions has gained more importance because development of prostatic hyperplasia is an almost universal phenomenon in aging men. Prostatic carcinoma is the second most common cause of death in men over age of 55 years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in patients presenting with enlarged prostate and to evaluate the efficiency of serum PSA to diagnose and differentiate benign and malignant enlargements. Method 100 patients attending the Nephrology Urology Hospitals OPD with enlarged prostate were evaluated and advised to undergo serum PSA testing Results Among 100 patients evaluated, the efficiency of serum PSA to differentiate benign and malignant lesions was 47% and 67% respectively. Conclusion The age specific reference ranges are better than the traditional reference range for screening for prostate cancer in patients with an enlarged prostate and in those with urinary complaints and for planning the management. The age specific reference ranges have the potential to make serum PSA a more discriminating marker for detecting clinically significant cancers in older men (increasing specificity) and to find more potentially curable cancers in the younger men (increasing sensitivity).

Authors and Affiliations