Systematic review of Pretreatment prostate-specific antigen velocity and doubling time as predictors for prostate cancer Journal Article


Authors: Vickers, A. J.; Savage, C.; O'brien, M. F.; Lilja, H.
Article Title: Systematic review of Pretreatment prostate-specific antigen velocity and doubling time as predictors for prostate cancer
Abstract: Purpose Pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) dynamics (PSA velocity and PSA doubling time) are widely advocated as useful prognostic markers in prostate cancer. We aimed to assess the published evidence for the clinical utility of PSA dynamics in this population. Methods We conducted a systematic review of studies published before March 2007 in which a PSA dynamic (velocity or doubling time) was calculated in patients before definitive treatment, a subsequent event (such as biopsy or recurrence) was ascertained, and the association between the two was analyzed. Our principal end point was the type of analysis reported, particularly whether the predictive accuracy of a statistical model that included both absolute PSA level and a PSA dynamic was compared with that of a model that included only PSA. Results Eighty-seven articles were eligible for analysis. The most common end points were biopsy (42 articles), and either recurrence (14 articles) or metastases or death (14 articles) after definitive therapy. Although PSA dynamics were generally found to be associated with outcome, only one article compared predictive accuracy of models with and without a PSA dynamic: this reported that PSA velocity improved prediction slightly (from 0.81 to 0.83), but was subject to verification bias. No article used decision analytic methods to examine the clinical impact of PSA dynamics. Conclusion There is little evidence that calculation of PSA velocity or doubling time in untreated patients provides predictive information beyond that provided by absolute PSA level alone. We see no justification for the use of PSA dynamics in clinical decision making before treatment in early-stage prostate cancer. © 2008 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Keywords: cancer recurrence; cancer diagnosis; prostate specific antigen; metastasis; tumor markers, biological; cancer screening; biopsy; cancer mortality; prostate cancer; prostate-specific antigen; prostatic neoplasms; systematic review; models, statistical; prostate biopsy; clinical decision making
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Oncology
Volume: 27
Issue: 3
ISSN: 0732-183X
Publisher: American Society of Clinical Oncology  
Date Published: 2009-01-20
Start Page: 398
End Page: 403
Language: English
DOI: 10.1200/jco.2008.18.1685
PUBMED: 19064972
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC2645854
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Cited By (since 1996): 28" - "Export Date: 30 November 2010" - "CODEN: JCOND" - "Source: Scopus"
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  1. Caroline Savage
    80 Savage
  2. Hans Gosta Lilja
    343 Lilja
  3. Andrew J Vickers
    880 Vickers
  4. Matthew Francis O'Brien
    20 O'Brien