Prognostic value of bone marrow acid phosphatase in prostatic carcinoma.

The total and l-tartrate labile acid phosphatase were studied in 25 patients with carcinoma of prostate. The results were compared with the results from a control group. Serum acid phosphatase levels both in the control groups and in patients with prostatic cancer were lower than bone marrow acid phosphatase levels. This may be due to acid phosphatase released from blood cells during hemolysis. A positive correlation between serum and bone marrow acid phosphatase levels in patients with prostatic carcinoma was found. There was a significant rise in bone marrow acid phosphatase levels (above the normal range from the control group) in patients with advanced stage III and stage IV prostatic carcinoma with significantly increased serum levels. The levels of bone marrow acid phosphatase gave a supplementary diagnostic method in the diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma. A hypothesis that raised levels of bone marrow acid phosphatase are diagnostic of early metastasis from prostatic carcinoma is given.