Prostate Screening Test Can Predict Other Health Risks

Posted by admin on January 6th, 2010 No Comments

In the fight against prostate cancer, measurement of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has proved to be one of medicine’s most promising screening tools. This test is currently used in the initial diagnosis of prostate cancer and as a tool for monitoring cancer recurrence following treatment. Previous studies have shown that prostate-specific antigen testing has increased the detection rate of early-stage cancers, many of which respond very favorably to therapy. Now, research is demonstrating that PSA testing may identify other prostate conditions, as well as highlight when medical intervention is required.

According to researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, prostate-specific antigen test results can predict the risk of acute urinary retention (AUR) and the need for prostate surgery in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Benign prostatic hyperplasia refers to a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland and is commonly found in men over age 50. Although not life-threatening, an enlarged prostate may block the urethra and make the passage of urine difficult. It can also lead to acute urinary retention, a condition in which urination becomes nearly blocked.

In this study, investigators compared the prostate-specific antigen test results of over 3,000 older men with their incidence of AUR and BPH. They found that up to 20 percent of men with high PSA levels experienced either AUR or BPH-related surgery. However, in men with low prostate-specific antigen values, fewer than eight percent experienced either of those conditions. They also noted that when patients with high PSA scores are treated with finasteride, a drug used in benign prostatic hyperplasia to shrink the prostate gland, their risk for developing acute urinary retention or requiring surgery was reduced by up to 60 percent.

The authors concluded that a patient’s prostate-specific antigen values can help doctors predict the risk of BPH-related outcomes and identify appropriate therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

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Tags: Finasteride
Posted in: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Health and Prostate