Prostate specific antigen: A review of PSA use in screening for prostate cancerJune 19, 2007Screening for prostate cancer using prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing continues to be problematic. Even though it is unproven whether population-wide screening with PSA can reduce death, illness or disability from prostate cancer, testing has become common in North America. A recent nation-wide survey indicates almost half of Canadian men over 50 years old are tested during their lifetime. In this review, Drs. Ian Thompson and Donna Ankerst examine the evidence in support of the blood test and then discuss how physicians should advise patients about the merits and drawbacks of the test. In a related commentary, Dr. Michael Jewett and colleagues examine the evidence from two large studies indicating that the drug finasteride is beneficial in reducing both the size of enlarged prostate glands and the risk of prostate cancer. Canadian Medical Association Journal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Prostate Cancer Current Events and Prostate Cancer News Articles New Catheter-less Technique May Ease the Pain and Discomfort of Prostate Cancer Recovery To ease the pain of recovery following prostate cancer surgery, physician-scientists have developed an innovative and patient-friendly approach that eliminates the use of a penile urinary catheter. Racial disparities decline for cancer in Missouri Cancer death rates in the United States are highest among African Americans, but a new report shows that in Missouri the disparity in cancer incidence and death between African Americans and whites is declining. OHSU Cancer Institute researchers study breathing during radiation Oregon Health & Science University researchers have determined exactly how much breathing affects prostate movement during radiation treatment. Hormone therapy before radiation seed implants for prostate cancer Men over 70 years of age with early-stage prostate cancer have 20 percent higher mortality if they are treated first with hormone therapy before being treated with radiation seed implants (brachytherapy), compared to men who are treated with brachytherapy alone. Newly found gene variants account for kidney diseases among African-Americans For the first time, researchers have identified variations in a single gene that are strongly associated with kidney diseases disproportionately affecting African-Americans. This work was conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by NIH-funded investigators at the Johns Hopkins University. Common painkillers lower levels of prostate cancer biomarker Common painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen appear to lower a man's PSA level, the blood biomarker widely used by physicians to help gauge whether a man is at risk of prostate cancer. Anti-inflammatory drugs may mask prostate cancer marker Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, may reduce serum levels of the prostate biomarker, PSA (prostate specific antigen), and hence may alter the detection of prostate cancer in individuals who take these medications. Too much calcium in blood may increase risk of fatal prostate cancer Men who have too much calcium in their bloodstreams may have an increased risk of fatal prostate cancer, according to a new analysis from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin. Height linked to risk of prostate cancer development and progression A man's height is a modest marker for risk of prostate cancer development, but is more strongly linked to progression of the cancer, say British researchers who conducted their own study on the connection and also reviewed 58 published studies. Health risk behaviors associated with lower prostate specific antigen awareness According to a study conducted at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, health risk behaviors such as smoking and obesity are associated with lower awareness of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), which could lead to a lower likelihood of undergoing actual prostate cancer screening. More Prostate Cancer Current Events and Prostate Cancer News Articles |
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