EVALUATION OF PROSTATIC SPECIFIC ANTIGEN IN BENIGN AND MALIGNANT BREAST DISEASE IN WOMEN

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of PSA in breast tumors keeping histopathological diagnosis as the gold standard.

Study design: Cross sectional study.

Place & duration of study: Chemical Pathology Department Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital (SZMC/SZH) Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan 06 months from July 2014 to January 2015.

Materials and Methods: 165 female patients were included in the study All the patients were selected from Surgical Department, SZMC/H Rahim Yar Khan. Patients were investigated by brief history and biopsy for the diagnosis of breast cancer. PSA was estimated by electro chemiluminesence technique using cobas e 411® on the sera of the patient and outcome was noted in a proforma. One-Way ANOVA test was used to compare means of the three groups.

Results: The average age of the patients was 56.39 ± 10.01 years (95%CI: 54.85 to 57.93) and mean duration of symptoms was 7.26±3.23 months. Out of 165 females 66(40%) had benign and 70(42.4%) had malignant breast tumor while 29 (17.6%) were controls (healthy aged matched volunteer women). Mean + SD of PSA in malignant, benign and control group were 5.89+0.91 pg/ml, 6.27+0.98 pg/ml and 3.98 ± 0.87 pg/ml, respectively (p= 0.816). Raised PSA (> 40 pg/ml) was found in 6.06% (10/165) cases. Rate of raised PSA was not significant between malignant and benign groups (9.09% vs. 5.07% p=0.45) Specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of PSA in this study were 74.35%,7.35%,­­­­40% and 18.70% respectively. (Result expressed in pg/ml instead of ng/ml as in males).

Conclusion: The role of PSA in differentiating benign and malignant breast disease remains to be determined.

Keywords: Prostate cancer, Serum prostate specific antigen, Breast