PSA Scientist says Prostate Cancer Blood Tests Unreliable

Prostate Specific Antigen is the basis for prostate cancer blood tests in the US but it's developer, Dr Richard Ablin, has been in the news over his revelation that it is unreliable

Statistics have shown that one man in every six will get prostate cancer in his lifetime, making it the most common type of cancer found in men in the US, and (after lung cancer) the second leading cause of cancer death.

However, making Dr Ablin's antigen the definitive prostate cancer blood test was, in his view, a huge mistake.

Testing for PSA will not show you which of the two variants of the disease are suspected - the one which will kill you and the other which won't.

Benign prostatic swelling (BPH), infection (prostatitis) and over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen can all cause elevated PSA levels in the blood, but none of these factors indicates cancer.

There are also problems with consistently low readings for obese patients. A study of more than 13,000 prostate surgery patients showed that PSA concentrations in obese patients with a body mass index of more than 35 could be between 10 and 20% lower than those of patiends with a BMI that was less than 25. A 5-foot-8 man who weighs 230 pounds has a BMI of 35, which is considered moderately obese.

But, worse than that, men with high readings could be completely healthy.

Whilst PSA screening is not routinely offered in the UK, it is under consideration, so the evidence gathered in a major European trial which showed that one in eight men will test positive when they do not actually have the disease will have to be weighed against other data which suggested that deaths could be cut by 20%.

Because most prostate tumours grow very slowly, it is Dr Ablin's opinion that men who do actually have prostate cancer are more likely to die of another condition. He suggests a policy of watchful waiting with repeat testing rather than immediate surgery.

One positive result of Dr Ablin's discovery is in the after treatment. A blood test score that rises rapidly could indicate the return of prostate cancer.

Also, regular testing is advisable for men who have a family history of the disease, as a score that starts to rise dramatically could mean cancer.

One interesting finding did come from the recent studies - a possible link between increased risk of prostate cancer and a diet that is higher in animal fat.


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