Relative performance characteristics of prostate specific antigen and prostatic specific antigen density for the diagnosis of carcinoma of the prostate.

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has become an important method for early detection of prostate cancer. It has been suggested that prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) may be a more efficient test for early detection than PSA alone. A series of 327 men undergoing prostate biopsy were evaluated by PSA and PSAD. When the receiver operating characteristic curves of both tests were compared, they demonstrated little improvement in the efficiency of detection with the use of PSAD. The five-fold increase in the cost of PSAD over PSA alone does not justify its inclusion in a plan for early detection for carcinoma of the prostate.