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Early warning: PSA testing can predict advanced prostate cancer
February 15, 2008Researchers who showed that a single prostate specific antigen (PSA) test at age 50 or under could predict the presence of prostate cancer up to 25 years later, (regardless of clinical significance) have now found that a single PSA can be used to predict advanced prostate cancer.
The findings, published in the online open access journal BMC Medicine, should help physicians identify which men would benefit from intensive screening.
More men die with prostate cancer than from it and in many cases the quality or length of their lives are not affected. However, advanced prostate cancer has serious consequences, including death. Researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York and Lund University, Sweden set out to investigate the ability of a single PSA test to predict a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer in later life. Advanced cancer was defined as one where the cancer had spread locally beyond the prostate or to other parts of the body at the time of diagnosis.
The team studied blood samples collected between 1974 and 1986 as part of a large population-based study of middle-aged men. The study cohort included 161 men who had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer by 1999 and men of a similar age who had not developed cancer by that time. The results showed that the total PSA level was an accurate predictor of advanced cancer diagnosis in later life. The majority (66%) of advanced cancers were seen in men whose PSA levels were in the top 20% (total PSA > 0.9 ng/ml). The median time from blood test to cancer diagnosis was 17 years.
The authors write: "A single PSA test taken at or before age 50 is a very strong predictor of advanced prostate cancer diagnosed up to 25 years later. This suggests the possibility of using an early PSA test to risk stratify patients so that men at highest risk are the focus of the most intensive screening efforts."
Targeting screening could allow physicians to intervene when the cancer is at an early stage and still curable. It could also reduce 'overdiagnosis' and unnecessary treatment in men with benign tumours.
BioMed Central
The team studied blood samples collected between 1974 and 1986 as part of a large population-based study of middle-aged men. The study cohort included 161 men who had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer by 1999 and men of a similar age who had not developed cancer by that time. The results showed that the total PSA level was an accurate predictor of advanced cancer diagnosis in later life. The majority (66%) of advanced cancers were seen in men whose PSA levels were in the top 20% (total PSA > 0.9 ng/ml). The median time from blood test to cancer diagnosis was 17 years.
The authors write: "A single PSA test taken at or before age 50 is a very strong predictor of advanced prostate cancer diagnosed up to 25 years later. This suggests the possibility of using an early PSA test to risk stratify patients so that men at highest risk are the focus of the most intensive screening efforts."
Targeting screening could allow physicians to intervene when the cancer is at an early stage and still curable. It could also reduce 'overdiagnosis' and unnecessary treatment in men with benign tumours.
BioMed Central
Prostate Cancer Current Events and Prostate Cancer News RSSResearchers Identify Role of Gene in Tumor Development, Growth and Progression
Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis.
Common pain relief medication may encourage cancer growth
Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells.
Young athletes need dual screening tests for heart defects, study suggests
To best detect early signs of life-threatening heart defects in young athletes, screening programs should include both popular diagnostic tests, not just one of them, according to new research from heart experts at Johns Hopkins.
Routine evaluation of prostate size not as effective in cancer screening, Mayo study finds
New Mayo Clinic research studied the association between prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and prostate size and found that routine annual evaluation of prostate growth is not necessarily a predictor for the development of prostate cancer.
Carnegie Mellon researchers link health-care debate to risk of dying in US and Europe
The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated.
New finding suggests prostate biopsy is not always necessary
Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that some elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men may be caused by a hormone normally occurring in the body, and are not necessarily a predictor of the need for a prostate biopsy.
Does prostate-specific antigen velocity help in early detection prostate cancer?
The November issue of European Urology, the official journal of the European Association of Urology, features an article focussing on prostate specific antigen (PSA) velocity and early cancer detection. It has been suggested that changes in PSA over time aid prostate cancer detection.
New Synthetic Molecules Trigger Immune Response to HIV and Prostate Cancer
Researchers at Yale University have developed synthetic molecules capable of enhancing the body's immune response to HIV and HIV-infected cells, as well as to prostate cancer cells. Their findings, published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for these diseases.
Chemo-radiation before prostate removal may prevent cancer recurrence
Researchers in the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center have found a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy given before prostate removal is safe and may have the potential to reduce cancer recurrence and improve patient survival.
Blood vessels might predict prostate cancer behavior
A diagnosis of prostate cancer raises the question for patients and their physicians as to how the tumor will behave. Will it grow quickly and aggressively and require continuous treatment, or slowly, allowing therapy and its risks to be safely delayed?
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Eat to Beat Prostate Cancer Cookbook by David Ricketts (Author) Prostate cancer is now the most common nonskin cancer among men in the United States. In 2005 alone, 250,000 new cases were diagnosed, and that number is certain to rise with each passing year. No one is more aware of this than David Ricketts, experienced cookbook author and recent prostate cancer survivor. Shortly after surgery and radiation treatments, Ricketts began to research food and lifestyle changes that might inhibit the likelihood of prostate cancer as well as its progression. The result is this uniquely specific cookbook, which takes full advantage of foods thought to fight prostate cancer while eliminating those believed to contribute to the disease. Eat to Beat Prostate Cancer Cookbook features more than 200 delicious recipes for everything from snacks, sandwiches,... |
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Saving Your Sex Life: A Guide for Men with Prostate Cancer by John P Mulhall (Author) In a straightforward style, Dr. John Mulhall guides the reader through the basics of male sexuality, explains the role of testosterone, the functions of the prostate, and the common difficulties men encounter when disease strikes. In plain language, this book spells out the causes and symptoms of prostate disease and diseases of the lower urinary tract and the approach to deal with the aftermath of treatment. |
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