Clinical significance of serum and bone marrow acid phosphatase.

Currently available immunochemical assays for the determination of serum prostatic acid phosphatase have improved the reliability of this biological marker in carcinoma of the prostate. Although the value of such methods for screening the general population is questionable, a certain percentage of elevated serum levels is observed in patients with localized disease. The significance of such findings is unclear at the present time. Recent evidence suggests that in elevated bone marrow acid phosphatase, using these methods is of predictive value in the future development of metastatic disease.