Prostrate Cancer PSA Test – It’s Not Always What They Say

Somebody stumbling across any literature – or even a conversation – on prostate cancer is sure to hear the term ‘PSA’ sooner than later. It’s because the prostate specific antigen (PSA) has become one of the standards for determining if a man has prostate cancer.

But PSA Test Can Be Inaccurate

But interestingly, there are too many things that are uncertain about the results obtained from a PSA test. For one, the fact that a man has a higher PSA count than is proper does not imply that he has prostate cancer, and the fact that a man has prostate cancer does not imply that his PSA levels will rise.

There are certain forms of prostate cancer, as a matter of fact, that specifically do not cause a rise in the level of prostate specific antigens in the blood of the patient while they are advancing. A small cell sarcoma is a brilliant example of this, one manifestation of the disease that is so difficult to catch that it is often quite advanced before that is done. Waiting to see a raised PSA count would certainly be a problem with something like that.

So why then is the PSA still so important?

Screening for prostate cancer is by no means a walk in the park, and the most definitive assurance of a diagnosis is rather invasive because of the poking of the organ by a needle. In order to lower expense and discomfort to the patient, other tests have to be conducted to see if the biopsy of the prostate is indeed called for.

Several other diseases cause a spike PSA count in the blood – and could raise it over the critical 4.0ng/ml that depicts if the patient might be in trouble or not. If this is the case, then the biopsy is justified; if it does not happen however, then the doctor may decide not to go ahead with the efforts to diagnoses the disease.

Once the patient has been confirmed to have prostate cancer, though, the PSA count certainly becomes important because it may now be used as some kind of barometer to determine the seriousness of the disease – it’s aggression and the level of its advancements – along with the results gotten from the biopsy (the Gleason score) and other tests that are generally conducted afterward, which include MRI scans, computer tomography (CT) scans, and ribonucleic bone scans.

During treatment, the PSA level of the patient is thus monitored for any sudden or drastic changes; even though it may mean nothing, at least it will help determine if more needs be done. In the meantime, researchers are looking for other less invasive yet more definitive ways to diagnose the disease.

Just recently we discovered what could be a more effective PSA Testing. We wrote an article about it. Click here to read about it.

New More Effective PSA Test Method For Detecting Prostate Cancer?

New More Effective PSA Test Method For Detecting Prostate Cancer:

We just found an interesting news article that throws more light on a kind of more advanced PSA test that can detect prostate cancer better than the usual PSA tests.

As you may already know, the usual PSA tests usually throws false positives, which leads to even more biopsies and treatments that may not even be necessary.

This has cost many men lots of money as well as endless mental and psychological traumas. Hopefully not anymore, if the story about this new PSA Pro Test is to be believed.

Read this news article below:

WASHINGTON, D.C (Ivanhoe Newswire) –The PSA test is the only available FDA approved screening method to identify prostate cancer in men. But, the test has been controversial for years because it’s not always accurate – causing some men unnecessary biopsies and needless treatment. We’ll tell you about a better, more accurate test for prostate cancer.

When Dan Zenka learned he had prostate cancer, his doctor let him know how serious the diagnosis was.

“He indicated that mine was a more aggressive form or appeared to be a more aggressive form of prostate cancer,” Dan Zenka, Prostate cancer patient told Ivanhoe.

Dan knows a lot about prostate cancer, he’s senior vice president of communications at the Prostate Cancer Foundation. He’s well aware that one in six men will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

“I knew the chances were good that I might be hearing those very words someday myself,” Zenka said.

The PSA test is the most common way to screen for prostate cancer. But the test can result in a high number of false positives and false negatives – causing unnecessary treatments and missed diagnoses. Now, urologists say that a new test, called the pro PSA test, better detects aggressive cancer and reduces false positives.

“The pro PSA test is more accurate than anything that is currently available,” William Catalona, M.D., a urologist at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine told Ivanhoe.

PSA or prostate specific antigen is found in the blood. High levels of PSA could indicate prostate cancer. The new test measures a more specific form of PSA in the blood.

“That specifically is a better marker for prostate cancer than the other forms of PSA that have been previously developed,” Dr. Catalona said.

The new test measures blood levels of three different types of PSAs. Combined with annual biopsies, or tissue samples, it was about 70 percent accurate in singling out the aggressive tumor. The pro PSA level is turning out to be a more valuable predictor for prostate cancer.

“It can give you a more accurate estimate of whether or not he has prostate cancer, and whether or not the prostate cancer is one of those that would be potentially life threatening,” Dr. Catalona added. Read more here:

We will now await when and whether this new PSA Pro method will be approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration. They say it has already been approved in Europe, so that’s a good sign.

So, there you go - New More Effective PSA Test Method For Detecting Prostate Cancer!

Prostate Cancer Exam – Screening And Tests

Ninth most common form of cancer in the world; second most common non skin cancer in men in America; second greatest cause of cancer deaths amongst men in the United States; over 200,000 new diagnoses per year; and close to 20,000 deaths every year as well.

The statistics in the above paragraph all pertain to prostate cancer, one of the most feared and well known diseases in the United States. These facts are made worse by the fact that the disease is not too easily detectable. There are no early symptoms, so that the condition could very well have gotten to advanced stages before it is diagnosed, at which time treating with the intent to cure could very well be a futile effort. Thankfully it is known that the disease is rare amongst men younger than 45 years of age and grows more common in the 60s.

As a result of the above, the American Cancer Society ACS recommends that men aged 50 years and older should seriously consider having annual screening tests to determine if they have the disease… in order to be able to catch it and get the best treatments. There is particular urgency for men who have a high risk for the disease – African American men and those who have a family history of prostate cancer. They are urged to talk to their doctors about starting annual screening tests at younger ages too.

These examinations and screening tests for prostate cancer are basically two in number:

1. The annual Digital Rectal Exam

and

2. The PSA test.

The digital rectal examination (DRE) requires that the doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum of the patient to feel the prostate gland. If the prostate has grown in size or changed in any way, the doctor will be able to tell this way. If there is nothing at all, the patient walks; but if the doctor suspects that they may be something, he advocates for a PSA test.

The male body produces an enzyme called the prostate specific antigen (PSA). There are constantly levels of this protein in the blood, but unless there is something wrong with the prostate, like an infection or disease. In such an instance, the blood level of the PSA markers rise above the 4.0ng/ml mark. During the PSA test, blood is drawn from the patient to be tested the laboratory. If the PSA level is above 4.0, there is cause for concern… except that it might not be prostate cancer at all. Other disorders can cause the PSA spike, so a biopsy may have to be conducted in order to confirm the diagnosis.

Understandably the annual screening with a PSA test is controversial because there are many false positives.  Sometimes an elevated PSA level occurs in men who do not have prostate cancer, leading to unnecessary additional procedures; but if it saves his life, the prostate cancer exams are totally worth it.

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