Prostate Cancer Prevention: The Test That Detects it with 94% Accuracy
By: Cristian Ocampo
Edited by: Pedro Andrés Calvo
One in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.1 Unfortunately, because of its vague and non-specific symptoms, it frequently undergoes a delayed diagnosis.2 However, in recent weeks, there is very encouraging news for men worldwide as Oxford Biodynamics (a global biotech company), along with the University of East Anglia, Imperial College London, and Imperial College NHS Trust researchers developed a new blood test to detect prostate cancer with greater accuracy.
What is the Prostate?
It is a gland that is part of the male reproductive system, which also includes the penis, testicles, and seminal vesicles. The prostate is found in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. It encircles the urethra (the tiny tube that empties urine) and is about the size of a walnut. Additionally, the prostate produces the fluid that makes a part of semen. 3
The New Test: Prostate Screening EpiSwitch (PSE)
According to the research team, the new test has shown remarkable potential as an accurate and quick cancer screening diagnostic. The researchers state that this blood test is 94 percent accurate, beating the currently used prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.4
The UEA team used this pilot study involving 147 patients. They discovered that
PSE significantly increases overall detection accuracy for at-risk men
compared to the conventional PSA test results.5
Professor Dmitry Pshezhetskiy from UEA’s Norwich Medical School said: “There is currently no single test for prostate cancer, but PSA blood tests are among the most used, alongside physical examinations, MRI scans, and biopsies.
However, PSA blood tests are not routinely used to screen for prostate cancer, as results can be unreliable. Only about a quarter of people who have a prostate biopsy due to an elevated PSA level are found to have prostate cancer. There has therefore been a drive to create a new blood test with greater accuracy.” 6
Also, Dr. Jon Burrows, Chief Executive Officer at Oxford Biodynamics stated: “There is a clear need in everyday clinical practice for a highly accurate blood test that can screen men for prostate cancer and accurately identify those at risk, while sparing those who up to now would be subject to unnecessary, expensive and invasive procedures.” 7
References:
[1, 2] MDPI, Circulating Chromosome Conformation Signatures Significantly Enhance PSA
Positive Predicting Value and Overall Accuracy for Prostate Cancer Detection. Retrieved
on February 9, 2023: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/3/821
[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prostate Cancer. Retrieved on February
10, 2023: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/basic_info/what-is-prostate-
cancer.htm
[4, 5] Science Daily, The new prostate cancer blood test with 94 percent accuracy. Retrieved
on February 9, 2023: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2023/02/230207191546.htm
[6, 7] Express Healthcare, New blood test for prostate cancer shows 94 per cent accuracy.
Retrieved on February 10, 2023: https://www.expresshealthcare.in/news/-
new-blood-test-for-prostate-cancer-shows-94-per-cent-accuracy/438090/
[8-11] Harvard Health Publishing, 10 diet & exercise tips for prostate health. Retrieved on
February 11, 2023: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/10-diet-and-exercise-
tips-for-prostate-health.
