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PSA test could predict Prostate Cancer

Scientists may have found a better way to predict the eventual onset of prostate cancer. Men who have not yet reached the age of 50 can now be tested with a single PSA test which may help to determine if they will develop the cancer later on. Early treatment could then be initiated and prevention of this form of cancer could be increased.
The reason for this renewed hope in the PSA test s a comes from a promising group of test results whcih was indicated by a group of men whose blood sample were analyzed between the years of 1974 and 1986. Later, in 1999, 161 men from the original group were shown to have avoided the diagnosis of cancer and evidence suggests that the PSA test was a reliable indication of this before the fact. Sixty-six percent of advanced cancers were capable of being identified early on as these men all had a PSA level in the top 20 percent. The average length of time from blood test to a diagnosis of cancer was 17 years which would give ample time to implement preventative measures.
Further studies in this area have, at the very least, become justified by the results of the earlier study and this could result in further confirmation in the future. Eventually, it could be determined that targeted screenings in men who are especially high-risk could help physicians to identify those men who would benefit from preventative measures.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. Over 27,000 men died from it in 2006 and it is estimated that there will be over 230,000 new cases diagnosed in 2008. If the PSA test proves to be effective, this could be a giant leap in a bright new future for many individuals.

Source: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

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