E. S. Hamilton
VFW Post 9876
Pattaya City, Thailand
Surgeon's Corner
Low PSA No Bar Against Cancer
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E. S. Hamilton Pattaya City, Thailand |
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Here's some important health news that middle-aged men may not want to hear. A new study from Louisiana State University shows that having a low number on the prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening test does not necessarily rule out prostate cancer - it's still very important to have a digital rectal exam (DRE). Dr. Caleb B. Bozeman and his colleagues at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport identified 916 patients with abnormal DRE findings and a PSA level lower than 4.0 ng/mL. When the patients had biopsies, the LSU team found that 81, 8.8 percent, had prostate cancer. The investigators found that the predictive value of the DRE increased as PSA levels increased, with cancer detected in 1.8 percent of those with levels between 0.0 and 0.9 ng/mL, versus 21 percent among those with levels between 3.0 and 3.9 ng/mL. Age was also a significant predictor, with cancer diagnosed among 5.4 percent of those younger than 50 years and among 11.3 percent older than 70 years. The researchers suggest that men with low PSA have a DRE and if it is abnormal, go ahead with a bioopsy. However, they added, "one could argue that patients with abnormal DRE findings and a serum PSA less than 2.0 ng/mL could simply be followed up closely and do not require a prostate biopsy." The LSU findings are reported in the journal, Urology. |