What is the Prostatic Acid Phosphatase Test?

Prostatic Acid Phosphatase

Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) is an enzyme that is normally present only in small amounts in the blood. It may be found at higher levels in some patients with prostate cancer, especially if the cancer has spread beyond the prostate. However, blood levels may also be elevated in patients with certain benign prostate conditions or early stage cancer. Although PAP was originally found to be produced by the prostate, elevated PAP levels have since been associated with testicular cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as well as noncancerous conditions such as Gauchers disease, Paget’s disease, osteoporosis, cirrhosis of the liver, pulmonary embolism and hyperparathyroidism. A simple blood test is available to detect PAP levels.

Prostatic acid phosphatase is used as a prostate tumor marker. PAP in conjunction with PSA measurements are useful in assessing the prognosis of prostate cancer. Measurement of two markers allows identification of prostate cancer patients who have an elevation of PAP but not of PSA, and thus help monitoring the course of disease and response to treatment. PAP is more specific than PSA and less false-positives are seen due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

Source. MedlinePlus, National Institute of Health.

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