Acid phosphatase (ACP)

Alternative names:

male PAP test; prostatic acid phosphatase test; serum acid phosphatase

What the risks are:

• excessive bleeding
• fainting or feeling lightheaded
• hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
• multiple punctures to locate veins

Special considerations:

Prostate cancer, located only in the prostate gland, may not produce high enough levels to indicate a problem. This is one of the best blood tests for prostate cancer (50 to 75% accurate), but a physical examination is much more reliable.

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.