A recent study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Chan School of Public Health found that mid-life prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels predict who will be more likely to develop lethal prostate cancer. PSA screening tests have helped doctors to diagnosis prostate cancer early which reduces death and the spread of prostate cancer but the test remains controversial as it can lead to over diagnosis and over treatment of men who may not be at risk. Smarter screening strategies that can improve the accuracy of diagnosing lethal prostate cancer are urgently needed. Investigators on the study found that measuring PSA levels in younger men (between the ages of 40 and 59) could accurately predict future risk of lethal prostate cancer later in life. Their findings suggest that screening PSA levels in men at mid-life may help identify those who are at greater risk and should be monitored more closely.
“The data supports the recommendation that risk-stratified screening for prostate cancer based on mid-life PSA should be considered in men aged 45 to 59,” said senior author Lorelei Mucci, ScD, associate professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Our study does not imply prostate biopsy or definitive treatment is immediately required in younger men with higher PSA levels at baseline, as this could lead to over diagnosis. Rather, these men should undergo more intensive PSA screening to enable earlier identification of cancer and potential cure while still possible.”
The researchers found that this single, baseline PSA level measured at midlife could accurately predict future risk of prostate cancer: Of the lethal prostate cancer events, 82 percent, 71 percent and 86 percent occurred in men with a baseline PSA above the median at ages 40-49, 50-54 and 55-59, respectively.
The study also found that men who had a PSA below median (<1.0 ng/ml) at age 60 were unlikely to develop lethal prostate cancer in the future.
If you or a member of your family have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, CyberKnife Center of Miami treats prostate cancer using Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery Treatment (SBRT) also known as CyberKnife Radiosurgery Treatment. CyberKnife therapy is a non-invasive, painless treatment performed by our board certified radiology oncologists. The high-dose radiation is delivered with pinpoint accuracy directly to the tumor which destroys the cancerous tumor and leaves healthy tissue untouched. The treatment is done in 5 sessions as compared to 42 treatment sessions with standard radiation. There is no pain, no down time, no cutting and no hospitalization.
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