Private MD News

PSA test accurate in men taking prostate-shrinking medication

Category: Prostate

PSA testing is widely considered to be one of the most useful measures of a man's prostate cancer risk. However, a new study has found that the measure may be even more effective in men who are taking drugs for enlarged prostates.

Dutasteride is a common medication for men who are experiencing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. These drugs cause a man's PSA levels to drop dramatically. Consequently, the researchers from Washington University found that any increase in PSA levels while men are taking dutasteride is very likely to indicate a problem.

"Dutasteride stabilizes the amount of PSA that comes from enlarged prostates and low-grade cancers," said Gerald Andriole, who led the study. "This enhances a rising PSA's ability to detect high-grade cancers that require early diagnosis and treatment, while reducing the discovery of tumors that are unlikely to cause harm if left untreated."

For the study, researchers examined the medical records of men who received either a placebo or dutasteride. The rate of cancer detection was much higher in men who were taking the medication.