A blood test called a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance produced by the prostate. PSA blood levels may be higher in men who have prostate cancer. The PSA level may also be elevated in other conditions that affect the prostate.
If your doctor determines that you should be screened, they will most likely recommend a PSA test. For more than 30 years, the PSA test has been the gold standard in prostate cancer screening. This simple blood test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen in the blood. To definitely confirm a diagnosis of prostate cancer, you'll need a biopsy, which is when doctors remove a sample of prostate tissue.
It is based on U-M research that discovered that half of all prostate tumors have a certain genetic abnormality in which the TMPRSS2 and ERG genes move to a chromosome and fuse together, creating a switch that activates the development of prostate cancer. The Prostate Health Index (PHI) is one of those tests that is a more accurate blood test and measures the risk of developing prostate cancer. If you have prostate cancer, all of your first-degree family members (parents, siblings, or children) are at high risk of developing prostate cancer. Surgery for prostate cancer involves removing the prostate gland (radical prostatectomy), some of the surrounding tissue, and some lymph nodes.
Researchers are studying whether cryotherapy or HIFU to treat part of the prostate could be an option for cancer that is limited to the prostate. For now, the American Cancer Society recommends that men who are thinking about being tested for prostate cancer learn everything they can so that they can make informed decisions based on available information, conversations with the doctor, and their own opinions about the potential benefits, risks and limits of prostate cancer screening. It may seem logical to detect and treat all prostate cancers early, but some prostate cancers grow so slowly that they will never cause problems for a man during his lifetime. This is because most prostate cancers grow slowly and men who are older or have serious health problems are more likely to die from other causes before prostate cancer grows large enough to cause problems.
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