New Prostate Cancer Test May Help Men Avoid Unnecessary Biopsy – News18

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among males worldwide.¹ In India, it is estimated that there were 37,948 new cases and approximately 18,386 deaths due to prostate cancer in 2022.² The majority of male deaths due to prostate cancer are over the age of 75 years, while the average age for diagnosis is about 66 years.¹

The development of prostate cancer varies widely. The low-grade prostate cancer grows very slowly and may never be life-threatening while high-grade prostate cancer grows much faster and can spread to other parts of the body.³

Screening and Diagnosis

To check for prostate cancer, doctors often start with a blood test that measures the level of a substance called prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is produced by the prostate gland.⁴

If PSA levels are high, further tests may be required, which could include a biopsy. A biopsy involves removing small tissue samples from the prostate to check if there are any cancerous cells. Though usually safe, the biopsy procedure can be painful and may cause several possible side effects, including fever and urinary tract infection. Many biopsies detect slow-growing cancers that don’t necessarily require immediate treatment but should be monitored instead.⁴

Interestingly, 70 to 75% of the men undergoing biopsies do not actually have cancer. Because most biopsies do not find cancer, they can lead to unnecessary anxiety, discomfort, higher medical costs, and potential complications.¹

Screening tests often find low-risk, slow-growing prostate cancers that may never become life-threatening but can cause anxiety and lead to overtreatment. Treatments for these less dangerous cancers can have side effects and complications that could have been avoided. Meanwhile, some screening tests may overlook more aggressive, fast-growing cancers.¹

New Advances in Testing

Since these PSA tests are not always found to be accurate and, likewise, sometimes result in unnecessary biopsies, researchers developed additional tests to better identify aggressive cancers. One such test is MyProstateScore 2.0. In this test, 18 specific genes associated with high-grade prostate cancers that are most likely to be fast-growing and require treatment are screened.^3,5

The MPS2 test is conducted on a urine sample, which men provide following a physical examination of the prostate. This test has proved very accurate in detecting those men who have aggressive prostate cancer. MPS2 test was observed to rule out high-grade cancer with 97% accuracy and helped avoid up to 51% of unnecessary biopsies.⁵

Benefits of the New Test

The MPS2 test is particularly useful because:⁵

• It has a high level of accuracy in detecting high-grade cancers
• It can significantly reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies for men with low-risk prostate cancers
• It offers a less invasive option, reducing the need for more burdensome tests like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or repeated biopsies

Tests like the new MPS2 can improve screening for high-grade prostate cancer, while simultaneously reducing unnecessary biopsies. This will allow to stay away from more burdensome and invasive tests along with the discomfort and potential complications they bring.^3-5

References:

1. Jain MA, Leslie SW, Sapra A. Prostate cancer screening. StatPearls. Jan 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556081/. Accessed on 07 Sep 2024.
2. Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. 2022. https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/356-india-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed on 07 Sep 2024.
3. An improved prostate cancer biomarker test may help men avoid unnecessary biopsy. National Cancer Institute: Division of Cancer Prevention. 29 Apr 2024. https://prevention.cancer.gov/news-and-events/blog/improved-prostate-cancer-biomarker-test-may-help-men-avoid-unnecessary-biopsy#:~:text=The%2018%2Dgene%20test%2C%20called,prostate%20cancer%20among%20men%20with. Accessed on 07 Sep 2024.
4. Urine test identifies high-risk prostate cancers. National Institutes of Health. 07 May 2024. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/urine-test-identifies-high-risk-prostate-cancers. Accessed on 07 Sep 2024.
5. Tosoian JJ, Zhang Y, Xiao L, Xie C, Samora NL, Niknafs YS, et al. Validation of an 18-gene urine test for high-grade prostate cancer. JAMA Oncol. 2024 Jun 1;10(6):726-36.

This is a Partnered Post.