Private MD News

PSA test may predict risk prostate cancer recurrence, study finds

Category: Prostate

Even after a man has had his prostate removed due to cancer, PSA testing should still play a prominent role in his regular physical examinations. A new study published in the World Journal of Urology found that prostate cancer survivors with elevated PSA levels are more likely to suffer a recurrence of the condition.

A team of French researchers examined the medical records of 83 men who had been treated with a radical prostatectomy for cancer. These men received regular PSA testing following their surgery.

The results showed that participants whose PSA levels remained high several months after their surgery were significantly more likely to experience a recurrence of the disease.

The researchers said that their findings underscore the importance of regular PSA testing for cancer survivors. They said that it may be possible to determine if tumors will return just six weeks after the surgery. After men are tested at this juncture, they should continue to be screened going forward, the team wrote.

This may be particularly true of older men, who are known to be at a greater risk of suffering a recurrence of cancer after treatment.