[Relationship of serum prostate-specific antigen and alkaline phosphatase levels with bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels to bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: We made a retrospective study of 96 cases of prostate cancer with (29 cases ) and without (67 cases ) bone metastases and evaluated their initial levels of serum PSA and ALP as well as the radionuclide bone scan findings. RESULTS: The median concentrations of serum PSA and ALP were both in the bone scan-positive patients statistically higher than in those the negative ones (P < 0.01). The percentages of the bone scan-positive patients with PSA > 20 microg/L or ALP > 90 U/L were also higher than those with PSA < 20 microg/L or ALP < 90 U/L (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Prostate cancer patients with bone metastases have higher levels of PSA and ALP than those without. Radionuclide bone scan is necessary when the serum PSA level is > 20 microg/L and/or ALP level > 90 U/L.