Reference Ranges of Age-Related Prostate-Specific Antigen in Men without Cancer from Beijing Area

BACKGROUND To determine the normal ranges of serum age-related prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level in men from Beijing area without cancer. METHODS In this cross sectional study, form April 2010 to October 2011, 1611 healthy men undergoing a routine health check-up in our hospital and all men received three examinations including serum PSA test, digital rectal ex-amination and transrectal ultrasound. Men with any two abnormal results of the three examinations were undergone a prostate biopsy. Men with any two normal results of the three examinations or with negative biopsy were defined as men without cancer. Men with a prior history of prostate cancer/surgery or with urinary tract infection/obstruction were excluded. 1572 men without cancer were recruited into the study finally and were stratified into 10-year age groups: 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and older than 80. RESULTS The median PSA value (95th percentile range) was 0.506(1.565), 1.04(2.920), 1.16(4.113), 1.34(5.561)and 2.975 (7.285) for each age group respectively, and the 25th percentile to 75 percentile was 0.343 to 0.923, 0.663 to 1.580, 0.693 to 2.203, 0.789 to 2.368 and 1.188 to 4.295 respectively. The serum PSA value is directly correlated with age (r=0.314, P＜0.001). CONCLUSIONS Use the age-related range for PSA increases the sensitivity in younger men and decreases the biopsy rate in older patients.