Diagnostic Utility Of Various Biomarkers For Prostate Cancer: A Review

Prostate carcinoma is one of the most widespread occurring cancers in males and is the second most common cause of cancer related mortality in men around the world. The therapeutic success rate for prostate cancer can be greatly improved if the disease is detected at an early stage. Therefore, a successful therapy depends immensely on the clinical indicators (biomarkers) for early diagnosis and progression of the disease, as well as the prognosis after the clinical intervention. Despite of its limitations, prostate biopsy is the “gold standard” for diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma. Beyond the shadow of doubt, the advent of PSA level has marked a new era for the efficient screening of prostatic lesions, but PSA alone cannot be considered as an authentic tool for diagnosis. Therefore, the use of new imaging techniques and molecular markers are of great importance for an accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer. Recent advances in molecular techniques have provided new tools facilitating the discovery of new biomarkers for prostate cancer. The aim of this review is to examine the current status of prostate cancer biomarkers, with special focus the on their diagnostic utility and therefore determine a panel of two or three markers for the prompt diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma.