Private MD News

PSA testing predicts risk of death

Category: Prostate

PSA testing may be an effective tool in predicting how likely a man is to die from prostate cancer, according to new research from the Duke University Medical Center.

The study found that men with a PSA value of 10 or higher the first time they are tested are up to 11 times more likely to die of prostate cancer than men with lower initial values.

The results of the study underscore the importance of PSA testing at a time when many in the health community are questioning the effectiveness of the test, claiming that it may lead to many false-positive results.

Researchers examined 20 years' worth of medical records. They found that men who had an initial PSA value of more than 10 were 11 times more likely to die of prostate cancer during the study period than men with an initial score of 2.5 or lower.

"There has been some controversy over the value of PSA screening beginning at age 40, but the data from this study strongly suggests that early screening can help us stratify patients' risk and identify those who need to be followed most closely," said Judd Moul, who led the study.