URINARY HYDROXYPROLINE EXCRETION IN CARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE - COMPARISON OF 4 DIFFERENT MODES OF ASSESSMENT AND ITS ROLE AS A MARKER

Summary— Urinary hydroxyproline (HP) excretion has been estimated without prior dietary restriction in 33 patients with carcinoma of the prostate and expressed as either 24‐h HP output or as the hydroxyproline/creatinine (HP/Cr) ratio in a 24‐h urine sample, an early morning urine sample or a spot urine sample. The early morning urine hydroxyproline/creatinine ratio (EMU HP/Cr) appears to be the most accurate and avoids the disadvantages of formal dietary restriction and prolonged urine collection. The rest is useful in monitoring the response to treatment of a patient with bony metastatic disease and relapse of a patient when his tumour ceases to be hormone sensitive. Furthermore, changes in EMU HP/Cr occur earlier than changes in other clinical or investigative variables, giving the test predictive value. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved