A promising new Prostate Cancer blood test is in the offing

The New test offers a significant increase in accuracy compared to current blood tests

Cancer is a deadly disease and can take many forms. Just as Breast cancer is the most common in women around the Globe, Prostate cancer is the most common form of this disease among men in North America, Northwestern Europe, Australia & the Caribbean islands.

One of the biggest challenges that the doctors face with Prostate Cancer is its detection. Prostate cancer cells often grow slowly and don’t become aggressive until the later stages. Current screening tools include an invasive digital rectal examination and the most commonly used is the blood test which measures levels of what is called prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

The problem with PSA levels, however, is that they are usually inaccurate and three-quarters of positive results lead to unnecessary invasive biopsies. PSA is also considered controversial since it can lead to overdiagnosis of slow-growing cancer tumors which present no immediate danger. Avoiding the over-diagnosis and over-treatment of the indolent disease remains a significant challenge as cited by the Canadian Urological Association.