Experts back away from annual PSA test

Tuesday April 28, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) tests may not be needed for a large portion of males, states a report from HealthDay News. The American Urological Association apparently determined that PSA blood tests should be taken at age forty to determine a “baseline.”

The Prostate-specific Antigen test searches for Prostate-specific Antigen, a tumor marker, in the blood. It is present in men’s blood and abnormal levels may indicate prostate cancer. If used properly the test can be used for early detection and treatment. New clinical guidelines from the American Urological Association state that PSA tests should be available to “well informed men aged 40 and older who have a life expectancy of 10 years.”

PSA screenings are important for early detection and post-op follow-up after prostate surgery. It is not a risky procedure in itself, but false or inconsistent results can lead to unnecessary surgery. The risks of unnecessary surgery include impotence and incontinence. According to Dr. Peter Carroll, chairman of the department of urology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), “PSA testing at [age 40] is strongly predictive of the future risk of prostate cancer. Later detection in the 50s, when the cancer would be more advanced, could be avoided.”

The new guidelines have been expanded to include family history as well as other factors. The AUA also removed the set PSA blood level that used to serve as an indicator of risk. The new guidelines take a more holistic approach.

Prostate cancer is a cancer of the prostate gland, a walnut-sized organ that produces a main component of semen. The American Cancer Society reports that many men have prostate cancer, but are unaware. There were 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer in 2008, and 28,660 deaths due to prostate cancer. It is a slow growing cancer that can eventually become deadly.

The AUA has put a prominent focus on PSA testing at this year’s meeting, examining different studies to outline the ideal test. They are considering frequency, efficacy and age ranges in order to determine when and how often to test PSA levels. The AUA meets every year in Chicago for a general meeting.

Those seeking more information about PSA testing or prostate cancer are urged to visit the website of the National Cancer Institute or the American Cancer Society.

(By Will Levine, and edited by Heather Kelley)