The Role of Prostate-Specific Antigen in Prostate Cancer Screening

Prostate cancer is, after lung cancer, the most common malignant disease diagnosed in the male population. The introduction into the practice used during the 80’s and 90’s of the determination of serum Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels, as a component of screening for prostate cancer, was a turning point in the medical practice. Due to this enzyme produced exclusively by the prostate gland, the prostate cancer detection rate (in curative, intracapsular stages) improved significantly. Serum PSA is a better predictive factor for prostate cancer (PC) than digital rectal examination or transrectal prostatic ultrasound.