If your doctor finds an abnormality during a digital rectal exam (DRE) or an MRI, or if the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test finds an elevated level of PSA, you may need a biopsy. A prostate biopsy is one of the most reliable ways to diagnose prostate cancer. The urinalysis has been proven to be highly accurate in detecting aggressive prostate cancer with few false negatives. For years, doctors have used a PSA blood test to detect prostate cancer in men.The test measures a protein produced by the prostate gland, called prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
Cancer screening, including PSA testing for signs of prostate cancer, may be a good idea. Prostate cancer screening can help identify cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most effective. In a prostate biopsy, doctors traditionally take eight to twelve needle biopsies along the prostate, in a random sample.Ultimately, you should decide whether to get screened for prostate cancer after consulting with your doctor, taking into account your risk factors and weighing your personal preferences. You might consider starting the conversations earlier if you're black, have a family history of prostate cancer, or have other risk factors.
The PSA test is sometimes combined with a digital rectal exam (DRE) to feel the prostate for abnormalities. It is based on research from the University of Michigan that discovered that half of prostate tumors harbor a certain genetic abnormality in which the TMPRSS2 and ERG genes move to a chromosome and merge, creating a switch that activates the development of prostate cancer.High PSA levels may indicate cancer, but most men with high PSA don't actually have prostate cancer. A urinalysis based on research from the Rogel Cancer Center at the University of Michigan could have prevented one-third of unnecessary prostate cancer biopsies and failed to detect only a small number of cancers, according to a validation study that included more than 1,500 patients. Dr.
William J. Catalona, known as the father of PSA screening, was the first to demonstrate in 1991 that a simple blood test could be used to measure PSA levels to detect prostate cancer.If the patients in the study had used the MyProstateScore test, 387 biopsies in which no cancer or a slow-growing cancer were detected could have been avoided, according to the study. Newly available technology can combine magnetic resonance imaging with real-time ultrasound to help guide prostate needle biopsies to any specific area of interest. The results showed that the new screening test, a simple blood test called the pro-PSA test, is particularly useful for patients with a normal prostate exam whose PSA is 2 to 10 - a range that is considered the gray area of diagnosis because most men with higher levels have prostate cancer and most men with lower levels do not.If the gene is “overexpressed” (meaning there are too many copies of it), you're more likely to get prostate cancer.
The University of Michigan has obtained a patent on STI gene fusions in prostate cancer, of which Drs. Arul Chinnaiyan and Scott Tomlins are co-inventors.Knowing your risk factors for prostate cancer can help you determine if and when you want to start screening for it. High PSA results may reveal prostate cancer that is likely to spread to other parts of the body (metastasize), or they may reveal a rapidly growing cancer that is likely to cause other problems.
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