A new medical tool is giving doctors a better way to understand prostate cancer risks.
This long-term prediction tool helps estimate a man’s risk of dying from prostate cancer by using more detailed and personal information. It may soon change how prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test results are used in real life.
PSA tests are common in checking for prostate cancer, which is one of the most frequent cancers in men. These tests measure the level of a protein in the blood made by the prostate.
Higher levels may be a sign of cancer, but they can also rise for other reasons. This means that interpreting PSA results can be tricky, and not all men with high PSA levels need treatment right away.
To improve this, researchers at the University of Michigan created a new prediction model. They used health data from over 33,000 men between the ages of 55 and 74 who were part of a major cancer screening study in the U.S.
The tool was then tested on another large group—almost 175,000 men in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system. These two groups together included over 200,000 men, giving researchers a very large data set.
What makes this new tool different is how it works. It doesn’t just look at PSA levels. It also includes personal factors like a man’s age, race, family history of prostate cancer, and any other health problems he might have. All these details help the model give a better estimate of a person’s true risk of dying from prostate cancer—not just whether they might have it.
The results were promising. The tool gave more accurate predictions than older methods. It was especially good at estimating long-term risks, which can help guide decisions about whether a man should be tested again, treated right away, or simply monitored over time.
This matters because many men with prostate cancer don’t need aggressive treatment. Some types of prostate cancer grow very slowly and never become life-threatening.
But because it’s hard to tell who needs treatment and who doesn’t, many men still undergo surgery or radiation, which can have serious side effects like incontinence or sexual problems. A better prediction tool could reduce overtreatment and help men avoid unnecessary procedures.
The researchers say this tool could be useful for the 10 million men in the U.S. who go through prostate cancer screening every year. With more accurate information, doctors can have better conversations with their patients. They can decide together whether further tests or treatments are needed, based on the patient’s personal risk and life expectancy.
The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and led by a team of researchers working to improve how PSA results are used. They believe this is a key step toward more personalized and smarter care for prostate cancer.
In summary, this tool offers a better way to use PSA results by looking beyond just one number. It shows how using personal health details can help doctors make better choices and improve outcomes for men at risk of prostate cancer.
If you care about prostate cancer, please read studies about 5 types of bacteria linked to aggressive prostate cancer, and new strategy to treat advanced prostate cancer.
For more information about prostate cancer, please see recent studies about new way to lower risk of prostate cancer spread, and results showing three-drug combo boosts survival in metastatic prostate cancer.
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