Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the life-saver dept.

Queen Mary University of London:

A new and simple blood test has been found to efficiently and accurately detect the presence of aggressive prostate cancer, according to research by Queen Mary University of London.

In combination with the current prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, the new test could help men avoid unnecessary and invasive biopsies, over-diagnosis and over-treatment.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Western men, with 1.3 million new cases being diagnosed each year worldwide. It is currently detected using a blood test that measures PSA levels. Although it provides early diagnosis, the PSA blood test has a low specificity (high false positives) with about 75 per cent of all PSA positive results ending up with negative biopsies that do not find cancer.

When a high PSA level in the blood is detected, the patient undergoes a tissue biopsy of the prostate gland, which is invasive and carries a significant risk of bleeding and infection. On biopsy, the majority of patients with elevated PSA levels are found not to have cancer. Additionally, most diagnosed early-stage prostate cancers are not fatal if left untreated. The current practice of the combined PSA test and biopsy for prostate cancer therefore results in unnecessary biopsies and over-diagnosis and overtreatment of many men.

The new prostate cancer test [...] detects early cancer cells, or circulating tumor cells (CTCs), that have left the original tumour and entered the bloodstream prior to spreading around the body. By measuring intact living cancer cells in the patient's blood, rather than the PSA protein which may be present in the blood for reasons other than cancer, it potentially provides a more accurate test for prostate cancer.

The study, published in the Journal of Urology, looked at the use of the CTC test in 98 pre-biopsy patients and 155 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients enrolled at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London.

The research team found that the presence of CTCs in pre-biopsy blood samples were indicative of the presence of aggressive prostate cancer, and efficiently and non-invasively predicted the later outcome of biopsy results. When the CTC tests were used in combination with the current PSA test, it was able to predict the presence of aggressive prostate cancer in subsequent biopsies with over 90 per cent accuracy, better than any previously reported biomarkers.

Non-invasive Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer Using Circulating Tumor Cells.[$] Journal of Urology, 2019; DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000000475

-- submitted from IRC


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:42PM (16 children)

    by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:42PM (#892740) Homepage Journal

    That's all fine and good but what if you like getting your prostate checked? Asking for a friend...

    --
    My rights don't end where your fear begins.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Funny=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3  
  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:44PM (5 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:44PM (#892744) Journal

    Damn, Buzzard! We'll start thinking that you're a left-coaster if you keep this up!

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday September 11 2019, @05:20PM (2 children)

      by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Wednesday September 11 2019, @05:20PM (#892799) Homepage Journal

      A good joke is far more important than politics.

      --
      My rights don't end where your fear begins.
      • (Score: 2, Disagree) by ilPapa on Wednesday September 11 2019, @08:35PM

        by ilPapa (2366) on Wednesday September 11 2019, @08:35PM (#892889) Journal

        Good one, Buzz.

        --
        You are still welcome on my lawn.
      • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 12 2019, @04:02AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 12 2019, @04:02AM (#893050)

        I'll be here waiting in case one shows up.

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 11 2019, @06:18PM (1 child)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 11 2019, @06:18PM (#892847) Journal

      Babies born on 9/11/2001 are not old enough to drink today.

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 12 2019, @04:03AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 12 2019, @04:03AM (#893051)

        Freedom? Bah.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:54PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:54PM (#892752)

    I'm Gonna Do What's Called a Pro Gamer Move.

  • (Score: 2) by Hartree on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:56PM

    by Hartree (195) on Wednesday September 11 2019, @03:56PM (#892755)

    I think you mean the finger test, not the biopsy.

    Then again, there are some seriously kinky people out there.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 11 2019, @04:07PM (5 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 11 2019, @04:07PM (#892762) Journal

    IIRC, the finger test is done every ten years after age 55. If your friend would like the test performed more frequently, he should express to his physician concerns that would lead to another test being done. In the US, insurance may have something to say about that. Unless he can find a doctor, or someone playing doctor, who is willing not to bill for this procedure.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @06:35PM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @06:35PM (#892854)

      My impression was that the finger test happens a lot more often around here.

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Wednesday September 11 2019, @08:26PM (3 children)

        by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 11 2019, @08:26PM (#892884) Journal

        Really? I haven't heard of instances of the finger protocol [wikipedia.org] for several decades.

        Running a finger daemon would be insecure. Not only could you be fingered, the daemon could provide a back door system vulnerability.

        --
        People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @09:08PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @09:08PM (#892901)

          So.... you're saying that's not someone's finger I'm feeling right now. ooooookay.....

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @09:48PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 11 2019, @09:48PM (#892920)

          Running a finger daemon would be insecure. Not only could you be fingered, the daemon could provide a back door system vulnerability.

          So keep your fingers to yourself all of you!!!

          • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday September 12 2019, @01:44PM

            by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Thursday September 12 2019, @01:44PM (#893153) Journal

            Just block the finger port.

            --
            People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Rupert Pupnick on Wednesday September 11 2019, @05:07PM

    by Rupert Pupnick (7277) on Wednesday September 11 2019, @05:07PM (#892792) Journal

    Just make sure that when you're getting the finger test the doctor doesn't have both hands on your shoulders.

  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Snotnose on Thursday September 12 2019, @12:34AM

    by Snotnose (1623) on Thursday September 12 2019, @12:34AM (#892996)

    First time I had mine the doc came in, did his thing, said "looks good", and left.

    A few seconds later a nurse came in and said "Who was that?"

    Told that joke to a friend of mine, she was not amused. She was a nurse before she retired and evidently that kind of thing, while not common, was not uncommon either.

    / pray for her, throw tarot, read tea leaves, whatever
    // she has stage 4 ovarian cancer now
    /// her name is Barbara

    --
    Why shouldn't we judge a book by it's cover? It's got the author, title, and a summary of what the book's about.