[Prostatic specific antigen: role and significance in urologic practice].

Taking into account the results of other investigators, the authors tried to show the important role of prostatic specific antigen in early diagnosis of prostate cancer, and in predicting of pathologic stage and grade. Prostatic specific antigen (PSA) is a tumour marker highly specific for prostatic tissue. In healthy men sera, normal PSA concentrations range from 2.5 to 4.0 ng/ml, dependent on the test and laboratory findings. Higher PSA levels are found in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic and prostate infarction. Markerdly high PSA levels can be found in higher stages of prostate cancer. Therefore, PSA has become and important marker in prostate cancer diagnostic procedures. Its remarkable importance has been proved in early diagnosis of local recurrence after radical prostatectomy, and in the montoring of post-therapeutic response.