Enzymes in the Diagnosis of Prostatic Disease

Abstract

A critical review of enzyme assays for identifying patients with prostatic disease points up sharply the importance of the terms diagnostic “specificity” and “sensitivity.” While several enzyme measurements are available, the nature and stage of disease in relation to specificity and sensitivity of the assays indicates that while these tests will detect advanced, incurable prostatic carcinoma, more sensitive and specific tests are needed to detect early, potentially curable prostatic carcinoma.