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Hold on to your marbles, guys, because this stat hurts: As many as 75 percent of men who undergo a prostate biopsy don’t actually have cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. One reason why: Doctors determine whether a biopsy is necessary based on levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood—and some men naturally have high levels.
Researchers in Iceland may have a solution. They’ve developed a genetic test that identifies if a man has high, low, or normal baseline PSA levels relative to his own DNA. The test could slash the number of unnecessary biopsies and may also help detect prostate cancer in men who would otherwise go undiagnosed.
“By testing for these genetic variants, doctors can establish a personalized threshold for each man’s PSA,” says Kari Stefansson, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of deCODE genetics, the lab that conducted the research. The number that signals “high” PSA—and potential prostate cancer—would vary from person to person. Currently, the threshold is the same for almost everyone.
What’s more, the test could also help find tumors that current methods might miss, especially in men with naturally low levels. That’s because currently, if a man with low PSA has a tumor and their PSA rises, it may still measure below the current threshold.
The DNA test would involve a simple cheek swab at your doctor’s office and could be available as early as mid-2011, Stefansson says.
Researchers in Iceland may have a solution. They’ve developed a genetic test that identifies if a man has high, low, or normal baseline PSA levels relative to his own DNA. The test could slash the number of unnecessary biopsies and may also help detect prostate cancer in men who would otherwise go undiagnosed.
“By testing for these genetic variants, doctors can establish a personalized threshold for each man’s PSA,” says Kari Stefansson, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of deCODE genetics, the lab that conducted the research. The number that signals “high” PSA—and potential prostate cancer—would vary from person to person. Currently, the threshold is the same for almost everyone.
What’s more, the test could also help find tumors that current methods might miss, especially in men with naturally low levels. That’s because currently, if a man with low PSA has a tumor and their PSA rises, it may still measure below the current threshold.
The DNA test would involve a simple cheek swab at your doctor’s office and could be available as early as mid-2011, Stefansson says.
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