Blood Test Spots Prostate Cancer
Blood Test Spots Prostate Cancer
Screen Could Help Reduce Unnecessary Biopsies
Sept. 13, 2006 (Chicago) -- A novel blood test that spots a protein that is elevated in people with prostate cancer could spare thousands of men from the pain and discomfort of unnecessary biopsies, researchers report.
The test, which zeroes in on a protein called human aspartyl (asparaginyl) beta-hydroxylase, or HAAH, appears to be more accurate than current methods for the early detection for prostatecancercancer, says Stephen Keith, MD. Keith is president and chief operating officer of Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in Gaithersburg, Md., which is developing the new test.
About 234,000 Americans will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and 27,000 men will die from the disease. Current methods for early screening and detection include the digital rectal exam, or DRE, which entails a physical exam of the prostate, and PSA, which measures levels of another protein known as prostate-specific antigen in the blood.
Both tests are fraught with problems. A high PSA level may signal cancer, but it can also occur in people without prostate cancer. Someone with prostate cancer may not have an elevated PSA. The DRE, based on physician touch and experience, relies on subjective clinical judgment.
Nevertheless, they are the only tests for early detection available and "if a man has a high PSA level and an abnormal DRE, he is referred for a biopsy. But up to 70% to 80% of men sent for biopsies are found not to have cancer," Keith says.
For early detection of prostate cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends annual PSA and DRE be offered beginning at age 50 to men with at least a 10-year life expectancy. Men with high risk for prostate cancer (African-Americans, family history in first-degree relatives diagnosed before age 65) should start testing at age 45. Men with several first-degree relatives with prostate cancer at an early age could begin testing at age 40. Risks and benefits of testing should be discussed with the patient.
To find a more accurate way to detect prostate cancer, researchers at Panacea developed a test in which they could detect HAAH in the blood.
Blood Test Spots Prostate Cancer
Screen Could Help Reduce Unnecessary Biopsies
Sept. 13, 2006 (Chicago) -- A novel blood test that spots a protein that is elevated in people with prostate cancer could spare thousands of men from the pain and discomfort of unnecessary biopsies, researchers report.
The test, which zeroes in on a protein called human aspartyl (asparaginyl) beta-hydroxylase, or HAAH, appears to be more accurate than current methods for the early detection for prostatecancercancer, says Stephen Keith, MD. Keith is president and chief operating officer of Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in Gaithersburg, Md., which is developing the new test.
About 234,000 Americans will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and 27,000 men will die from the disease. Current methods for early screening and detection include the digital rectal exam, or DRE, which entails a physical exam of the prostate, and PSA, which measures levels of another protein known as prostate-specific antigen in the blood.
Both tests are fraught with problems. A high PSA level may signal cancer, but it can also occur in people without prostate cancer. Someone with prostate cancer may not have an elevated PSA. The DRE, based on physician touch and experience, relies on subjective clinical judgment.
Nevertheless, they are the only tests for early detection available and "if a man has a high PSA level and an abnormal DRE, he is referred for a biopsy. But up to 70% to 80% of men sent for biopsies are found not to have cancer," Keith says.
For early detection of prostate cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends annual PSA and DRE be offered beginning at age 50 to men with at least a 10-year life expectancy. Men with high risk for prostate cancer (African-Americans, family history in first-degree relatives diagnosed before age 65) should start testing at age 45. Men with several first-degree relatives with prostate cancer at an early age could begin testing at age 40. Risks and benefits of testing should be discussed with the patient.
A Better Test for Prostate Cancer
To find a more accurate way to detect prostate cancer, researchers at Panacea developed a test in which they could detect HAAH in the blood.
