Private MD News

DNA testing may identify men at risk for prostate cancer

Category: Prostate

PSA testing is widely considered to be the most vital measure of a man's prostate cancer risk. However, what happens after the procedure is the topic of much debate. Some have suggested that too many men are subjected to unnecessary treatments following poor interpretation of PSA test results.

A team of researchers from the deCODE Lab in Iceland has proposed that personalized DNA screening be provided to men who have received elevated PSA test results. This may reduce some of the misinterpretations that force many men to undergo unnecessary treatments that may carry severe side effects.

The researchers said that some men have naturally high PSA levels. When these are detected in the course of regularly prostate cancer screenings, doctors may mistakenly interpret them as signs of danger. However, if PSA testing is followed up a DNA test, it may reduce the chances of this.

Currently, men who receive an elevated PSA test result are immediately subjected to a prostate biopsy. However, this procedure is invasive and extremely uncomfortable. DNA testing may be a less objectionable way to build a complete picture of a man's prostate cancer risk than biopsies.