| Simple Genetic Test For Prostate Cancer May Soon Be Available
Men with susceptibility for prostate cancer will soon be identifiable through a simple DNA test. So hope scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet, who have shown that men carrying a combination of known risk genes run a four to five times higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
At present, men with suspected prostate cancer are identified mainly using what are known as PSA tests. However, the test has a relatively low sensitivity and better methods are needed.
"In the near future, it will be possible to combine PSA tests with simple genetic tests," says Professor Henrik Grönberg at Karolinska Institutet. "This means that fewer men will have to undergo unnecessary biopsies and that more prostate cancer diagnoses can be made."
It has long been known that prostate cancer is partly caused by inherited factors, which makes some men more likely to develop the disease than others.
Prostate Cancer Can be Missed in Obese Men
(Ivanhoe News wire) Being overweight can have an impact on the results of a common test for prostate cancer. A measurement of prostate specific antigen (PSA) is often the way prostate cancer is diagnosed. A high level of PSA indicates cancer. But obese men have lower PSA levels and new research says its because the large volumes of plasma associated with being overweight. Several theories have been presented about why obese men have lower PSA levels. Researchers from the U.S. and Canada examined a large cohort of men with prostate cancer and looked at the relation between body-mass index (BMI), PSA measurements, and plasma volume. They included more than 13,700 men from a 16 year time period. .
Health briefs for Jan. 28
The screenings will take place at the Regional Health booth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, upstairs in Room F. Screening may detect prostate cancer early by testing the amount of PSA in the blood.The American Cancer Society recommends all men older than 50 have an annual PSA blood test and a digital rectal examination. Men in high-risk categories, such as African American men or men with a strong family history of prostate cancer before age 65, should begin testing at age 45. Walk-ins for the screening are welcome. Results will be sent by mail. For more information about the PSA screening, call 719-2314.Program offers free power wheelchairsThe Senior Wheels USA Program will provide power wheelchairs to qualified people for home use at no cost. According to Leon Johnson, program director, these power wheelchairs will be available to those who can no longer walk safely or propel themselves with a manual wheelchair and who meet additional guidelines of the program.
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