Prostate-specific antigen doubling time and survival in patients with advanced metastatic prostate cancer.

The relation between tumor kinetics and disease progression in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) has not been well described. Biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer is characterized by detectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after treatment and occurs in approximately 30% of patients after therapy for apparent localized disease. An increase in PSA almost always occurs before clinical evidence of disease.