Mri/ultrasound Fusion Guided Biopsy: Working Together For Your Health
At UVA Health, we are proud to offer a new prostate cancer detection option: MRI/ultrasound fusion guided biopsy. Through a unique partnership between the UVA Radiology and Urology departments, we are able to use MRI imaging to help guide a biopsy in real time. This makes the biopsy much more accurate. It also reduces the risk of false negative or false positive results, and decreases the odds that you may have to repeat a biopsy.
How Are Researchers Trying To Improve The Psa Test
Scientists are investigating ways to improve the PSA test to give doctors the ability to better distinguish cancerous from benign conditions and slow-growing cancers from fast-growing, potentially lethal cancers. None has been proven to decrease the risk of death from prostate cancer. Some of the methods being studied include:
How Is The Psa Test Used In Men Who Have Been Treated For Prostate Cancer
The PSA test is often used to monitor patients who have a history of prostate cancer to see if their cancer has recurred . If a mans PSA level begins to rise after prostate cancer treatment, it may be the first sign of a recurrence. Such a biochemical relapse typically appears months or years before other clinical signs and symptoms of prostate cancer recurrence.
However, a single elevated PSA measurement in a patient who has a history of prostate cancer does not always mean that the cancer has come back. A man who has been treated for prostate cancer should discuss an elevated PSA level with his doctor. The doctor may recommend repeating the PSA test or performing other tests to check for evidence of a recurrence. The doctor may look for a trend of rising PSA level over time rather than a single elevated PSA level.
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The Test Is Often Not Needed
Most men with high PSAs dont have prostate cancer. Their high PSAs might be due to:
- An enlarged prostate gland.
- Recent sexual activity.
- A recent, long bike ride.
Up to 25% of men with high PSAs may have prostate cancer, depending on age and PSA level. But most of these cancers do not cause problems. It is common for older men to have some cancer cells in their prostate glands. These cancers are usually slow to grow. They are not likely to spread beyond the prostate. They usually dont cause symptoms, or death.
Studies show that routine PSA tests of 1,000 men ages 55 to 69 prevent one prostate cancer death. But the PSA also has risks.
What The Prostate Test Tells Us And Doesn’t Tells Us
Many older men will be familiar with the prostate-specific antigen test which doctors routinely use to screen for prostate cancer. While many people will refer to it as the “prostate cancer test,” it doesn’t actually detect cancer but rather an inflammation of the gland itself.
PSA is a specialized protein naturally produced by the prostate gland. If there is any abnormality or infection of the gland, the resulting inflammation will trigger the release of additional antigens. The higher the PSA level, the greater the inflammation.
Prostate cancer is just one of the conditions the PSA test can help diagnose. While a high PSA may be suggestive of a malignancy, the test alone cannot offer a diagnosis. For this, other lab tests and evaluations would be needed.
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Medical Procedures Can Cause Psa To Rise
“Anything that traumatically interferes with the architecture around the prostate gland can make PSA go up,” says Dr. Milner. “One of the most common causes of significantly high PSA from this type of trauma is the placing of a catheter into the bladder.”
Another cause is a prostate or bladder exam that involves passing a scope or taking a biopsy.
“Since it takes about two to three days for PSA to go down by half, you should wait two to three weeks after this type of trauma to do a PSA test,” Milner says.
What Does Psa Mean
PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by the prostate and found mostly in semen, with very small amounts released into the bloodstream. When theres a problem with the prostatesuch as the development and growth of prostate cancermore PSA is released. Sometimes, a mans prostate releases slightly high PSA for other reasons. Rising PSA eventually reaches a level where it can be easily detected by a blood test.
For more information on rising PSA, download or order your free copy of the Prostate Cancer Patient Guide.
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Gleason Score For Grading Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is also given a grade called a Gleason score. This score is based on how much the cancer looks like healthy tissue when viewed under a microscope. Less aggressive tumors generally look more like healthy tissue. Tumors that are more aggressive are likely to grow and spread to other parts of the body. They look less like healthy tissue.
The Gleason scoring system is the most common prostate cancer grading system used. The pathologist looks at how the cancer cells are arranged in the prostate and assigns a score on a scale of 3 to 5 from 2 different locations. Cancer cells that look similar to healthy cells receive a low score. Cancer cells that look less like healthy cells or look more aggressive receive a higher score. To assign the numbers, the pathologist determines the main pattern of cell growth, which is the area where the cancer is most obvious, and then looks for another area of growth. The doctor then gives each area a score from 3 to 5. The scores are added together to come up with an overall score between 6 and 10.
Gleason scores of 5 or lower are not used. The lowest Gleason score is 6, which is a low-grade cancer. A Gleason score of 7 is a medium-grade cancer, and a score of 8, 9, or 10 is a high-grade cancer. A lower-grade cancer grows more slowly and is less likely to spread than a high-grade cancer.
What Psa Level Indicates Prostate Cancer
Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by both healthy and cancerous cells in the prostate gland. While a small amount of this protein is normally found in the blood, PSA blood levels are usually elevated in men who have prostate cancer.
As with all cancers, early detection of prostate cancer is important to ensure timely and appropriate treatment. Additionally, this type of cancer, which is very common, tends to progress gradually over the course of many years and may not show symptoms in its earliest stages. To screen men for early signs of prostate cancer, a relatively simple blood test known as a PSA test may be recommended. This test, which measures the level of PSA in the blood, is often performed along with a digital rectal exam.
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Diagnosis And Treatment Of Female Prostate Cancer
Due to the challenges of diagnosis, the signs of female prostate cancer are often mistakenly attributed to underlying conditions in the urinary tract or reproductive system.
Unfortunately, the initial stage of cancer in the Skene glands is asymptomatic. Once your menstrual cycle is disrupted, sex becomes painful, or youre always feeling sick, the disease is quite advanced.
Treatment of female prostate cancer follows a similar strategy to that of other reproductive cancers. If chemical and radiation therapies arent successful in eradicating tumors, then surgery will likely be required to excise them. Frequently, the surgical removal of larger tumors and the chemical destruction of smaller tumors happen simultaneously.
In more severe cases, the organ or organs containing the cancerous growths must be removed as well. This could include your Skene glands, uterus, ovaries, or your entire reproductive system . Whenever cancer in the Skene glands goes undiagnosed and untreated, bladder cancer may follow.
Medical experts have theorized that female prostate cancer could be linked to a history of sexually transmitted infections. The Skene glands, like the male prostate, act as guardians against infections that travel throughout the reproductive system.
How Should The Psa Test Be Used For The Early Detection Of Prostate Cancer
Ultimately, the decision to use PSA for the early detection of prostate cancer should be individualized. Men should be informed of the known risks and the potential benefits of early screening. Not all men are appropriate candidates for screening efforts. For instance, screening in men with less than a 10-year life expectancy, either due to age or other illness, is discouraged as there will be most likely no benefit for them.
If prostate cancer is detected on prostate biopsy, all treatment options should be discussed. The benefits and risks of the many treatment options should be reviewed and discussed with men found to have prostate cancer. The AUA recommends that this discussion include active surveillance in men with low-risk prostate cancer. The goal of active surveillance is to allow men to maintain their quality of life when the disease is slow-growing or inactive but still allow them to be cured of prostate cancer when the disease appears to become more aggressive or is fast-growing. Other novel biomarkers, such as PCA3 , may assist the clinician in these decisions.
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What Is A Psa Test
PSA is a protein that is made by all prostate cells, whether they are normal or cancerous. A PSA test measures the level of PSA in a mans blood and generally reflects the volume of prostate tissue in the body.
Since prostate cancer can increase the level of PSA in the blood as it is progressing, a high PSA is associated with higher risk of having the disease. Therefore, many doctors have used the test to help determine whether a man is harboring the disease. Since the test was developed, several professional organizations have recommended that men over age 50 undergo PSA testing, often in addition to a digital rectal exam, to aid in early detection of the disease.
What Research Has Been Done To Study Prostate Cancer Screening
Several randomized clinical trials of prostate cancer screening have been carried out. One of the largest is the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, which NCI conducted to determine whether certain screening tests can help reduce the numbers of deaths from several common cancers. In the prostate portion of the trial, the PSA test and DRE were evaluated for their ability to decrease a mans chances of dying from prostate cancer.
The PLCO investigators found that men who underwent annual prostate cancer screening had a higher incidence of prostate cancer than men in the control group but the same rate of deaths from the disease . Overall, the results suggest that many men were treated for prostate cancers that would not have been detected in their lifetime without screening. Consequently, these men were exposed unnecessarily to the potential harms of treatment.
A second large trial, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer , compared prostate cancer deaths in men randomly assigned to PSA-based screening or no screening. As in the PLCO, men in ERSPC who were screened for prostate cancer had a higher incidence of the disease than control men. In contrast to the PLCO, however, men who were screened had a lower rate of death from prostate cancer .
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What Does A High Psa Really Mean
PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is often thought of as an immediate signal of prostate cancerbut is it really? Doctors have discovered that a high PSA level does not necessarily correlate to prostate cancer. There could be other health and lifestyle factors impacting your PSA test results.
What do PSA levels mean and what could cause an elevated level that isnt prostate cancer?
How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treated
Treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia may include
- lifestyle changes
- minimally invasive procedures
- surgery
A health care provider treats benign prostatic hyperplasia based on the severity of symptoms, how much the symptoms affect a mans daily life, and a mans preferences.
Men may not need treatment for a mildly enlarged prostate unless their symptoms are bothersome and affecting their quality of life. In these cases, instead of treatment, a urologist may recommend regular checkups. If benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms become bothersome or present a health risk, a urologist most often recommends treatment.
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Ejaculation Is A Potential Cause Of Mildly Elevated Psa
“Ejaculation can cause a mild elevation of your PSA level, and so can having a digital rectal exam,” says Milner. “These types of PSA elevations are usually not enough to make a significant difference unless your PSA is borderline. PSA should return to normal in two to three days.”
To avoid this type of elevation, doctors will usually draw blood for a person’s PSA level before doing a rectal exam. Ask your doctor if you should avoid ejaculation for a few days before a PSA test.
How Is Psa Testing Used For Pretreatment Staging Of Prostate Cancer
Once prostate cancer is diagnosed by the presence of cancer cells on prostate biopsy and assigned a cancer grade , PSA is used in combination with the grade of the prostate cancer to determine further medical studies needed for cancer staging. Staging determines if the cancer is localized or metastatic . Staging therefore drives the best management and appropriate treatment for the cancer. As mentioned earlier, serum PSA levels correlate with the risk of prostate cancer extension outside of the prostate including seminal vesicle invasion as well as metastasis to the pelvic lymph nodes.
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How Can Psa Levels Be Lowered Naturally
There is no need to lower the PSA a high PSA level doesnt cause any harm. If you are worried about developing clinically significant prostate cancer , remember that there are no evidence-based strategies that are currently used to lower PSA. Unfortunately, this does not stop people offering dietary advice or other interventions that lack peer-reviewed evidence to support their use .
For patients that have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, there has been lots of research looking at interventions that could be classed as natural” and that might improve their well-being and possibly delay their cancer progression. Exercise is one example. I do not make recommendations to my patients to try and lower their PSA levels. For patients worried about prostate cancer or that have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, I do try and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Mr Aidan Noon is extremely experienced in interpreting high PSA levels and providing professional guidance for the next steps. Click here to learn more and to get in touch.
Interpretation Provides Information To Assist In Interpretation Of The Test Results
When total prostate-specific antigen concentration is below 2.0 ng/mL, the probability of prostate cancer in asymptomatic men is low, further testing and free PSA may provide little additional information. When total PSA concentration is above 10.0 ng/mL, the probability of cancer is high and prostate biopsy is generally recommended.
The total PSA range of 4.0 to 10.0 ng/mL has been described as a diagnostic “gray zone,” in which the free:total PSA ratio helps to determine the relative risk of prostate cancer . Therefore, some urologists recommend using the free:total ratio to help select which men should undergo biopsy. However, even a negative result of prostate biopsy does not rule-out prostate cancer. Up to 20% of men with negative biopsy results have subsequently been found to have cancer.
Based on free:total PSA ratio: the percent probability of finding prostate cancer on a needle biopsy by age in years:
Free:total PSA ratio
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What Factors Influence Cancer Predictions If The Psa Level Is Elevated
As previously noted, PSA rising after surgery can mean many different things in terms of the status of prostate cancer. These different prognoses are based on several different factors, outlined below:
- Gleason Score of Prostate Cancer: The Gleason score is a measure of how aggressive the cells of prostate cancer are. The higher the score, the more aggressive cancer. Men with higher Gleason scores who experience PSA recurrence are at greater risk for metastasis of prostate cancer than those men with lower Gleason scores. Is the Gleason Score 7 or less or is it 8 or higher?
- Time from Surgery: How soon after surgery the PSA reappears is one indicator specialists use to determine the aggressiveness of cancer. Generally, the longer the time between surgery and PSA recurrence, the less likely cancer is aggressive and going to spread. In turn, the better rate of survival will be. Is the time greater or less than 2 years?
- PSA Doubling Time: The term refers to the time it takes for the PSA to double in value. The value measures the rate at which the PSA rises, and can be a very significant indicator of the aggressiveness of cancer. Men with a shorter PSA doubling time postoperatively are more likely to have more aggressive disease. In these cases, a more aggressive secondary treatment plan may be advised. Is the PSA doubling in less or greater than 10 months?
What Are Normal Psa Levels
Thereâs no such thing as a normal PSA for any man at any given age, but most men with prostate cancer have a higher than normal level. In general:
If your PSA results are in the borderline range , the % free PSA can be useful in helping distinguish between prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia . The pattern is the opposite of that seen with PSA in that a high % free PSAâabove 20%âpoints to BPH, while a %- free PSA less than 10% indicates a greater likelihood of cancer.
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