What is a free PSA test and what is it for?

Free PSA Test

"The free prostate-specific antigen test, known as the free PSA test, is used to help detect signs of prostate cancer. The test measures the level of unbound prostate-specific antigen in the blood, which can help doctors to diagnose issues like inflammation of the prostate or cancer."

Free PSA tests are often used alongside other PSA tests to confirm a diagnosis or test results. Free PSA tests can also be used instead of a biopsy if the doctor suspects prostate cancer, but a biopsy may still be needed.

This article examines when a free PSA test is used, how it differs from a total PSA test, and what the results mean.

Read More »

Simple Blood Test Predicts Aggressive Prostate Cancer !

Cancer

A new diagnostic will allow men to bypass painful biopsies to test for aggressive prostate cancer.

Current tests such as the prostate specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal exam (DRE) often lead to unneeded biopsies and more than 50% of men who undergo biopsy do not have prostate cancer, yet suffer the pain and side effects of the procedure such as infection or sepsis.

Less than 20% of men who receive a prostate biopsy are diagnosed with the aggressive form of prostate cancer that could most benefit from treatment. A newly developed diagnostic will allow men to bypass painful biopsies to test for aggressive prostate cancer. The test incorporates a unique nanotechnology platform to make the diagnostic using only a single drop of blood, and is significantly more accurate than current screening methods.

Read More »

Enlarged Prostate: Molecular Mechanism Clue May Explain Link To Inflammation

A new study reveals an important molecular clue about how inflammation may lead to prostate enlargement or benign prostatic hyperplasia. The researchers believe their discovery may also lead to ways of overcoming resistance to androgen-targeted treatment for the condition.

Enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in older men where the prostate gland is enlarged and not cancerous.

As the prostate gland enlarges, it presses against and pinches the urethra, the tube that allows urine to leave the bladder. Also, the bladder wall gradually thickens and the bladder may get weaker and lose the ability to empty completely.

Read more: Enlarged Prostate: Molecular Mechanism Clue May Explain Link To Inflammation

Enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in older men.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Most Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer on the Rise

A new analysis suggests infrequent screening has resulted in an increase in the number of men diagnosed with the metastatic form of the disease.

For decades, experts have said the diagnostic used to screen patients for prostate cancer is too unreliable to use routinely because it produces high rates of false positives and often results in additional unnecessary and invasive tests, as well as overtreatment. However, a new study suggests efforts to limit the use of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test may be partially responsible for a rise in incidences of the most aggressive form of the disease.

Read more: Most Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer on the Rise

Source: newsweek

Prostate Cancer And DNA Mutation: New Connections Revealed

Specific mutations in the DNA of men with metastatic prostate cancer have been shown to play a larger role in the disease than previously thought. Researchers hope that this finding will help change standard therapy guidelines and open the door to drugs currently being used for other cancers.

The new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined inherited mutations in DNA repair genes.

These gene mutations were already known to occur more frequently in prostate cancer patients than the general population.

However, the present study demonstrated that mutations in DNA repair genes were even more prevalent in people with metastatic prostate cancer, specifically.

Read more: Prostate Cancer And DNA Mutation: New Connections Revealed

Gene mutation research gives a new perspective on prostate cancer.

Source: medicalnewstoday