Bone marrow prostatic specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase levels: are they helpful in staging prostatic cancer?

We analyzed serum and bone marrow levels of prostatic specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase quantified by double antibody radioimmunoassay in 70 patients. Of the patients 36 had prostatic cancer, including 23 with metastatic disease. There was a significant correlation between the serum and bone marrow levels of prostatic specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase independently of the metastases (p less than 0.001). No patient with prostatic cancer and positive bone marrow prostatic specific antigen or prostatic acid phosphatase levels had normal serum levels. Quantification of bone marrow prostatic specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase does not provide more information than does serum determination.