Health: New Test For Prostate Cancer on the Horizon

Scientists at the University of Surrey in the U.K. say they have developed the first reliable test for diagnosing early prostate cancer.

The scientist have identified a protein called EN-2, which is only produced by prostate cancer cells, the new urine test appears to be the first reliable test for diagnosing early prostate cancer. The new test is vastly superior to the existing PSA blood test, which detects fewer than 40% of cancers and has a false positive rate of over 50%.

According to Tim Sharp, a trustee of the Prostate Project, early treatment of prostate cancer is the key to successful treatment. If you catch it early there is an 80% chance of a cure, if you catch it late, that drops to 20%.

The scientists hope the EN-2 test could be in widespread use in 12 to 18 months’ time.

Prostate cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the prostate. It is the most common cause of death in men over 70 and third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages.

According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2010 there were 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S., and more than 32,000 deaths.

People who are at higher risk include:

• African-American men
• Men over 60
• Men who have a father or brother with prostate cancer

Other people at risk include:

• Men exposed to agent orange
• Men who abuse alcohol
• Farmers
• Men who eat a diet high in fact, especially animal fat
• Tire plant workers
• Painters
• Men who have been exposed to cadmium

The symptoms listed below can occur with prostate cancer (Most of the time these symptoms are caused by other prostate problems that are not cancer):

• Delayed or slowed start of urinary stream
• Dribbling or leakage of urine, most often after urinating
• Slow urinary stream
• Straining when urinating, or not being able to empty out all of the urine
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Bone pain or tenderness, most often in the lower back and pelvic bones (only when the cancer has spread)

For more information on prostate cancer screening, testing, treatments, and studies, talk with a cancer information specialist at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), or visit the Web site www.healthfinder.gov and type in the words “prostate cancer.”

Stephan