Prostate Debate

By Sora Song

In a study that raised more questions than it answered, researchers have discovered a major problem in the PSA test, the standard blood screen for prostate cancer. The test measures blood levels of a protein released by the prostate. For years doctors assumed that a reading lower than 4 ng/mL of blood meant the patient was cancer free. But a study of 2,950 men published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 15% of those with PSA levels less than 4 actually had cancer, and almost 15% of those men had "high grade" tumors, which can become aggressive. Doctors fear that the news will trigger a flood of requests for unnecessary biopsies. Although more biopsies will lead to more early diagnoses, most prostate cancers grow so slowly that it's hard to say whether early detection is worth it. The study's authors recommend that men also consider their age, ethnicity and family history of disease before opting for a biopsy--or for treatment. --By Sora Song