Prostate-specific antigen reduction after empiric antibiotic treatment does not rule out biopsy in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms: prospective, controlled, single-center study

BACKGROUND: To evaluate men, with lower urinary tract symptoms and newly elevated serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) to determine whether a three-week course of ciprofloxacin antibiotics lowers serum PSA levels and affects recommendations for prostate biopsy. METHODS: A prospective, controlled, single-center prospective trial of 177 men with a newly elevated PSA and lower urinary tract symptoms was conducted. Patients were randomized to three weeks of ciprofloxacin or observation. After three weeks, patients PSA levels and derivatives were repeated. At the end of 3 weeks, all patients underwent TRUS guided systematic 12-core prostate biopsies regardless of the final PSA value. RESULTS: Of 177 men who completed the study, 88 were in the treatment and 89 in the observation group. 46.5% of treatment and %18 of control groups patients PSA levels had decreased after 3 weeks and a significant PSA reduction was observed in the treatment group compare to control group (p: 0.035) but no significant prostate cancer detection rates were observed between the groups (p: 0.418). Also, in the treatment group prostate cancer detection rate was significantly higher in patients whom PSA levels were decreased (p: 0.011). CONCLUSION: This study has shown that, use empirical antibiotic treatment decreased the PSA levels but did not have any effect on prostate cancer detection. In addition, prostate cancer detection rates were found to be higher in patients with reduced PSA levels after treatment. Therefore, it may not be safe to rule out biopsies in patients who achieve a satisfactory PSA response to antibiotics.