Effective Cancer Screening Methods Essay

Today, prostate cancer is usually detected through screening, and there are two methods for early detection. The prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) is used, but there are

In the United States, it’s estimated that roughly 1 in 5 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) of the National Cancer Institute, “the number of new cases of prostate cancer was 129.4 per 100,000 men per year. The number of deaths was 20.7 per 100,000 men per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2009-2013 cases and

PSA test results are interpreted as: 0-4 ng/mL is normal. Between 4 to 10 ng/ML is 25% of developing cancer, and > 10 ng/ml is a > 50% risk of cancer. However, some men with normal PSA levels still have prostate cancer, while other men with high PSA levels do not. PSA levels increase with age often due to a higher prevalence of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). Therefore, no PSA cutoff can accurately guarantee that a man does not have prostate cancer.

Another method to detect this cancer is with a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). Protein in the blood that is produced only by prostate cells is reflected the volume of both benign and malignant prostate tissue in the PSA. The higher the PSA level is the more likely it is that Prostate Cancer present. (“Prostate

Doctors need to know the amount of cancer and where it is in the body to be able to choose the best possible treatment. For example, the treatment for early stage breast

Men should talk with a doctor if they are 45 and at high risk for prostate cancer. This includes those with a family history, especially African American men.

Each year approximately 233,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (Eggener, Cifu, & Nabhan, 2015). In 2015, prostate cancer was the second most common cancer related cause of death among United States men (Eggener, et. al., 2015). While the majority of prostate cancers are slow growing with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 98%, statistics show that when prostate cancer is identified as metastatic, the 5-year survival rate dramatically drops down to 20-25% (Eggener, et. al., 2015). According to these numbers alone, it appears screening for prostate cancer would be a well-accepted practice. However, current methods of screening for this cancer are controversial and has lead organizations like the U.S Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to different guidelines for screening.

The first reason being the level accuracy of PSA testing is questionable. The test determines a positive for the cancer based on the levels of prostate-specific antigens in the blood of the patient, which can be abnormally high for multiple other reasons not related to prostate cancer. The major evidence supporting said claim is that individuals with more than 4.0 ng per mL (the threshold to test positive) can have false positive rates of 70% (Mulhem 2). The second reason would be the implications of testing positive for prostate cancer, including but not limited to unnecessary treatment of the disease. While the analysis does not back up unnecessary treatment with any statistical evidence, it does go to explain further tests and procedures to confirm and understand the nature of the patient’s condition. This bleeds over to the negative physical and psychological side-effects of regular prostate cancer screening cited by the analysis. Mulhem explains that after testing positive for prostate cancer, more tests are performed to determine the accuracy of the screening and if so, reveal the specificities of the cancer. The most common of these tests being the prostate biopsy, a procedure that causes a significant portion of participants to develop moderate to severe problems requiring a follow-up with their doctor (Mulhem

Second is age- and race-specific PSA reference ranges. Age- and race-specific PSA reference ranges compare the PSA test results among men in the same group. Third is Percent-free PSA (fPSA) is the percentage of the total PSA that is unbound. Evidence suggests that fPSA is lower in men who have prostate cancer compared with men who do not. Fourth are the complexed PSA (cPSA) test measures the amount of bound PSA circulating in the blood. Fifth is the PSA density (PSAD) which is a test sometimes used by doctors in patients who have a large prostate gland. To determine PSAD, the PSA value (ng/mL) is divided by the volume (size in cubic centimeters) of the prostate. The size of the prostate gland is determined by Tran’s rectal ultrasound (TRUS), a procedure that uses sound waves to create a picture of the prostate. ( (Diagnosis))

Prostate cancer is a kind of cancer that affects the prostate gland in men. It is a common cancer that grows slowly and its treatment can be done successfully if it is detected at an early stage. Sometimes, symptoms are not visible in case of cancer limited to the prostate gland which may result into metastatic cancer. To detect the symptoms, active surveillance can be done. There are various options available

Cancer is one of the diseases that affects many people all over the world. It is also one of those that causes the most deaths. Because of this, experts continuously search for innovations in this field so that the cancer screening Houston can be so much better. This way, it can be more effective in detecting cancerous cells and eliminate it properly.

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer share a few similarities, elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Along with enlargement of prostate gland that causes urinary symptoms such as, frequent urination, hesitancy, dribbling, and frequent nighttime urination. However, they are quite different which is why more tests need to be done to confirm one or the other condition. These two diseases are also similar in the fact that they both cause an enlargement of the prostate. However with BPH the central portion of the prostate is enlarged and with prostate cancer more commonly the lateral lobes or side of the prostate are enlarged, but can affect any were on the prostate. Both can even be detected by a digital rectal exam however

PSA has become the most important biomarker for detection and follow up of prostate cancer. PSA levels of greater than 4.0ng/ml have been considered to have predictive value for prostate cancer. This screening test is well tolerated, quick, cheap, and standardized. Physicians are also familiar with the test results and can easily translate (Roobol et al., 2011). According to Wachtel, Nelius, Haynes, Dahlbeck, and de Riese (2013), the United States Preventative Health Task Force recently recommended PSA screening be abandoned in part by examining the results of two randomized trials, concluding that the results did not support the notion that the benefit of PSA screening outweighed the risks and costs even though there has been a steady decline in mortality since the early 1990s.

cancer. The use of film mammography can be very hard to recognize breast cancer in

Acid Phosphatase is an enzyme found in seminal fluid. It comes from the prostate gland (Johnson 2009). Typically, the more Prostatic Acid Phosphatase found in a sample of semen is a sign of prostate cancer. This is important because the Acid Phosphatase Color Test was once used to determine of a male had prostate cancer. It was later replaced by Prostate Specific Antigen, aka PSA. Forensic scientists still use this test to identify semen, however. In 1938, Gutman and Gutman reported increased levels of acid phosphatase in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (Taira, Merrick, Wallner, and Dattoli, “Reviving the Acid Phosphatase Test for Prostate Cancer”). It was later replaced by the Prostate Specific Antigen in 1971 (Taira, Merrick, Wallner, and Dattoli, “Reviving the Acid Phosphatase Test