A new test to see if
men need prostate cancer treatment has been backed by a specialist on the disease, despite some opposing its
use.
Professor Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London, said the
test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) can help because any reading over four
indicates there is a problem, which may be cancer.
He said the reason for the controversy is the risk of
"over-diagnosis", which GPs fear because any excess of PGA is not
necessarily proof of cancer.
However, Professor Kirby argued: "If you use the PSA test
intelligently, you measure it serially and you keep an eye on it…if you use it
sensibly then it can save lives."
And this should help to lower the numbers who end up needing surgery or
radiotherapy, by separating them from those who "just need
watching".
In January of this year, a study at UCLA in the
US indicated that MRI scans can help indicate to surgeons whether nerve-sparing
techniques are required in prostate operations.
© Adfero Ltd
Prostate cancer treatment news : 27 March 2012
