New Prostate Cancer Tests -- Research Summary

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in a man's prostate. It is one of the most frequent forms of cancer affecting men. About one in every six men will be diagnosed with this disease sometime during the course of his life. (SOURCE: www.mayoclinic.com)

PREVENTION: Here are a few ways men can lower their risk of prostate cancer:
• Eat fewer calories or exercise more so that you maintain a healthy weight.
• Try to keep the amount of fat you get from red meat and dairy products to a minimum.
• Watch your calcium intake. Do not take supplemental doses far above the recommended daily allowance. Some calcium is OK, but avoid taking more than 1,500 mg of calcium a day.
• Eat more fish – evidence from several studies suggest that fish can help protect against prostate cancer because they have "good fat" particularly omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid trans fatty acids (found in margarine).
• Try to incorporate cooked tomatoes that are cooked with olive oil, which has also been shown to be beneficial, and cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower) into many of your weekly meals. Soy and green tea are also potential dietary components that may be helpful. (Source: www.pcf.org)

GOING PRO! PSA testing is one step in early identification of prostate tumors, but PSA testing can miss some cancers, or produce a false positive. A study published in the Journal of Urology, followed 900 patients from 10 sites. The results showed the new screening test, a simple blood test called the Pro-PSA test, is particularly useful for patients with a normal prostate exam whose PSA is 2 to 10, a range considered the diagnostic gray zone.

The Pro-PSA test measures a more specific PSA subform called (-2) Pro-PSA. The test becomes even more accurate when its results are analyzed with a mathematical formula that provides an overall Prostate Health Index. The formula divides the Pro-PSA number by the free-PSA, then multiplies the quotient of the two by the square root of the total PSA. (Source: Journal of Urology)

NEW TESTING! The urine test looks for a genetic change that occurs in some prostate cancers, and its results could be used to separate men into high-, intermediate- and low-risk groups. The new urine test could be given after a man has been found high PSA levels to guide the decision about whether a biopsy should be done. The test is based on work published in a 2005 study by the same researchers that identified a genetic change present in 50 percent of prostate cancers that were identified by a PSA screening test.

By combining the new urine test with a test for prostate specific antigen 3, the researchers could tell if a man has prostate cancer better than they can with only a PSA test, the study said. The researchers screened more than 1,000 men with the new test and based on the results, separated them into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Subsequent biopsies resulted in a cancer diagnosis in 21 percent, 43 percent and 69 percent of men in these groups, respectively. (Source: MSNBC) MORE
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