Prostate-specific antigen in the assessment of organ donors

Abstract

Transplantation is limited worldwide by the shortage of organs, thus, donors of older ages are necessary to be used to meet the increasing demand for transplants. To minimize the transmission of cancer from this population, it is mandatory to rule out the presence of neoplasms. We present our experience with analysis of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for male donors older than 50 years of age. Eleven (5.9%) had PSA levels >6 ng/mL, 2 had prostate cancer. In 7 donors with high PSA levels postextraction study of the whole prostate gland showed carcinoma in 1 and prostate infarction in 1; the other 5 were reported as normal or having benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Donors with high PSA levels are suitable for transplantation if urgent pathological studies do not find prostate cancer. Nevertheless, in most donors, increased PSA levels are secondary to causes other than malignant tumors, thus, the risk of transmission of prostate cancer with transplants is minimal. In conclusion, measurements of PSA levels alone prior to extraction are not sufficient to diagnose cancer in organ donors. We conclude that this analysis must be restricted to donors with a past history of prostate disease. Meanwhile, better tests to avoid false-positive results are required.