PSA Test Scores Give A Very Good Indication Of An Aggressive Prostate Cancer

By: Donald Saunders
Submitted: 2007-12-04 11:36:10
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The PSA test is a simple blood test that is frequently used to screen for the presence of benign enlargement of the prostate and of prostate cancer. In spite of the fact that the test cannot by itself be used to diagnose these conditions it is an excellent indicator and, in combination with other tests, PSA testing can point to the need for further investigation.

PSA testing is usually recommended for men at particular risk (like those with a family history of the condition) once they reach the age of about 40 to 45 and for men in general over 50 years of age.

A single PSA test will provide a snapshot of of the level of prostate specific antigen in the blood and might indicate a problem immediately if you record a particularly high PSA level. In the majority of cases however, and where a prostate problem may be in its early development, a single PSA test result will turn out to be inconclusive and another test will generally be suggested a few weeks later. Indeed, ideally PSA testing ought to be carried out regularly two or three times each year so that PSA levels may be viewed over a reasonable period of time.

As long as you have a normal PSA score then all is well, but once your PSA levels start to rise they have to be monitored closely. The speed at which PSA levels rise is often referred to as the 'PSA velocity' and as long as the rise is gradual and the velocity slow then it is once again often sufficient merely to monitor the situation as a variety of things can influence PSA levels and apparently rising levels will often be seen to return to normal over time.

However, if PSA levels begin rising rapidly and the velocity is said to be fast then further investigation is necessary.

This pattern of PSA testing and monitoring has been done for some time but, while the test has always been thought of as a good indicator of the need for further investigation, it was not until fairly recently that we have been able to link specific PSA velocity figures to prostate cancer in a manner that can indicate the aggressiveness of a cancer.

In a recent study data concerning 950 men with prostate cancer who had undergone either surgery of radiation treatment between 1988 and 2004 at four hospitals was carefully analyzed.

In all cases the patients had been diagnosed as having aggressive prostate cancer on the basis of an isolated very high PSA reading, the presence of an advanced stage tumor, the results of a biopsy showing signs of an aggressive cancer at cellular level, a noticeable rise in PSA velocity during the year prior to diagnosis or a mix of two or more of these markers.

The study also looked in detail at the post-treatment outcomes for all of the patients and found that a rapidly rising PSA level that jumped by 2 or more points in a year was the best indication or the presence of an aggressive cancer.

Up until this point we have been able to connect rising PSA levels with the possible presence of prostate cancer but have had to guess to some extent about whether such a cancer might be aggressive and need equally aggressive treatment.

However, now we are able to say with relative certainty that where a PSA level increases by 2 or more points in a year then prostate cancer is almost certainly aggressive and needs to be treated speedily and vigorously.

Article source: Expert Articles