Serum prostate-specific antigen as a predictor of prostate volume in Korean men with lower urinary tract symptoms

The aim of the study was to assess the utility of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a predictor of prostate volume indexes (total prostate volume (TPV), transition zone volume and transition zone index) in Korean men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). From September 2003 to April 2006, 3431 patients with LUTS were included in the study; they had a median age of 63.8 years, a median prostate volume of 22.6 ml and a median serum PSA of 1.04 ng/ml. Men with a baseline PSA of >10 ng/ml were excluded, to reduce the likelihood of including occult prostate cancer. Prostate volume indexes and serum PSA levels had an age-dependent log-linear relationship. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that PSA had good predictive value for various prostate volume indexes thresholds. The approximate age-specific criteria for detecting men with a TPV of >40 ml are PSA levels of 1.20, 1.44 and 1.72 ng/ml for men with LUTS in their sixth, seventh and eighth decades, respectively. The results show that serum PSA identifies Korean men with large prostates reasonably well. Korean men may produce and/or release more PSA per unit prostate volume than white men. The cutoffs for PSA and prostate volume to response to LUTS therapy should be determined in this population.