Katz A E, de Vries G M, Benson M C, Buttyan R E, O'Toole K, Rubin M A, Stifelman M, Olsson C A
Department of Urology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Urol Clin North Am. 1996 Nov;23(4):541-9. doi: 10.1016/s0094-0143(05)70334-7.
Prostate cells present in the peripheral circulation can be detected using an enhanced reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assay. In one study, preoperative enhanced RT-PCR for PSA status was a significant predictor of surgical pathology and postoperative biomechanical recurrence. The use of RT-PCR may enhance the urologist's ability to stage potential candidates for radical prostatectomy, as the assay is a more sensitive and specific predictor of microscopic extracapsular extension than conventional staging modalities. This highly adaptable assay also may have roles in screening for recurrence and in staging other solid tumors.
