Men with elevated blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) often need a biopsy to find out the diagnosis and grade of the cancer. Low-grade prostate cancer can normally be treated with energetic surveillance, but doctors often recommend immediate treatment for men with medium- and advanced-grade cancer. Now, a straightforward urine test may help discover men without cancer and men with only low-grade prostate cancer, which can allow them to avoid a biopsy, in keeping with a study published online April 18, 2024. Is. JAMA Oncology.
The urine test, called MyProstateScore 2.0, looks for 18 different genes related to advanced tumors. The researchers first examined a database of 58,000 genes related to prostate cancer and identified 18 genes. They then isolated 54 genes related to cancers classified as medium or higher. Next, the team tested these 54 genes against urine samples from 761 men with elevated PSA levels who were scheduled for biopsy. This effort enabled them to discover 18 genes that were consistently related to advanced cancers.
The researchers applied the 18-gene test to urine samples from greater than 800 men with elevated PSA levels who underwent biopsies and compared the outcomes. The test appropriately identified 95% of medium-grade cancers and 99% of advanced cancers. Using the test would cut back unnecessary biopsies by 37 percent, in keeping with the researchers.
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