One in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, which is often diagnosed late. However, the common test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is relatively inaccurate. A new epigenetic test could help.
The current test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is not very accurate. This can lead to men feeling a false sense of security about a false-negative result, or worrying about a false-positive result and having to endure biopsies.
The new epigenetic test for prostate cancer recognizes certain features on chromosomes that are typical for prostate cancer. In a study with 147 men, in combination with the standard PSA test, it was much easier to make correct statements about whether a man actually had cancer or not: the accuracy was 94 percent and exceeded the standard test so clearly.
The new test is accurate, fast, minimally invasive and inexpensive. If successful in larger studies, it can significantly improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Prof Dmitry Pshezhetskiy, from the University of East Anglia, said: “PSA blood tests are not routinely used to screen for prostate cancer as the results can be unreliable. Prostate cancer is found in only about a quarter of people who have a prostate biopsy because of an elevated PSA level. Our test provides a rapid and minimally invasive prostate cancer diagnosis in an at-risk population with impressive performance.”
Which: DOI 10.3390/cancers15030821