Urine Markers as Possible Tools for Prostate Cancer Screening: Review of Performance Characteristics and Practicality

Abstract

Background:In recent years, an increasing number of urine-based tests have been proposed as potential screening tests for prostate cancer. The goal of this review was to summarize the current status of evidence regarding performance characteristics of the proposed tests and their practicality under screening conditions. Method: Relevant articles published up to and including May 2005 were identified in the PubMed database. At least 10 cases and 10 controls had to be analyzed for a study to be included in the review. Data concerning the study population, performance characteristics, and the collection and processing of urine samples were extracted from the reviewed articles. Results: In all, 34 retrospective studies evaluating 21 different markers complied with the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies were rather small and included heterogeneous clinical study populations. Promising results were reported for a few markers in single studies, but they have often not been replicated in subsequent larger studies. Some of the more promising results were obtained with 24-h urines or with specimenhandling procedures that might be difficult to perform under screening conditions. Conclusions: Larger studies with a prospective design are required to confirm promising findings regarding performance characteristics of some novel markers recently reported in mostly small studies. Future studies should also pay particular attention to the practicality of the markers under screening conditions.

The Discovery of Putative Urine Markers for the Specific Detection of Prostate Tumor by Integrative Mining of Public Genomic Profiles

“…Urine represents an amenable and appealing body fluid for the early detection of PCa [5]. First, urine can be used to detect the presence of PCa because secreted prostatic products or exfoliated cancerous cells are released directly into the genitourinary tract.…”

Overexpression of CD24, c-myc and Phospholipase 2A in Prostate Cancer Tissue Samples Obtained by Needle Biopsy

“…PCA develops slowly, this helps to use successful screening protocols to reduce mortality and morbidity [1]. Digital rectal examinations and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) determinations are the most commonly used screening methods worldwide.…”

A Proteomic Comparison of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Pancreatic Tissue from Autoimmune Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, and Pancreatic Cancer

“…As such, recent efforts have attempted to further standardize collection, handling, and storage of various body fluid specimens [36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46]. Nevertheless, meaningful inter-laboratory data comparisons have historically been limited due to differences in specimen handling.…”