A PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, blood test is the most common way to screen for prostate cancer. Now researchers are saying theyve developed a new PSA test that can identify whether or not men are at risk for a relapse.
According to WebMD.com, the test proved to be 300 times more sensitive than commercially available tests in a small study.
It uses nanotechnology to detect in the blood after the prostate has been removed because of the cancer. Previously, men had to wait five to seven years for a regular test to be able to measure their after surgery.
“The first thing our study proved is that almost everybody has a measurable level of PSA after the prostate is removed. We havent been able to measure this with the tests we have now,” one of the scientists who developed the test, Dr Chad Mirkin, told WebMD.
Thats significant, he says, because rising following treatment predict recurrence.
A larger study is underway to confirm the tests accuracy, although some say the clinical benefit of it is unclear.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men, with as many as 186,000 new cases diagnosed last year, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Recent research has suggested a vegetable-rich diet and pomegranate juice may lower the risk of prostate cancer due to their antioxidant power.
Other studies have linked omega-3 fatty acids to better prostate health. 