Prostate cancer is a cancer of the prostate, a walnut-shaped gland found in the pelvis portion in men. It is a commonly occurring cancer in men.
Early detection and treatment provide great prognoses in patients having this cancer. But, to improve the survival rate in these patients, apart from treatment and care, the most important thing is proper diagnosis.
Proper diagnosis helps determine the stage (spread) of cancer and formulate a proper treatment plan for the patient. But what is the most accurate test for prostate cancer?
This article outlines information about the various tests to detect prostate cancer. It will also help you figure out what is the most accurate test for prostate cancer, prostate cancer test and how to check for prostate cancer.
Usually, it is advised to get regular prostate cancer screening done as a precaution, even when there are no symptoms. This is because the symptoms of prostate cancer are not noticeable in their early stages. However, any sudden problems related to urinating might indicate prostate cancer as the prostate gland is situated closer to the urinary bladder and the urethra.
Warning signs that call for a prostate cancer test include the following:
Upon noticing any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is essential to consult a doctor and get a proper diagnosis. The doctor may recommend several tests to identify the cause of the symptoms.
Some of these tests would be specific to detecting prostate cancer. Keep reading to learn more about these tests and what the most accurate test for prostate cancer is.
Several tests are available for prostate cancer. But what is the most accurate test for prostate cancer? Usually, a combination of these tests is conducted to provide an accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer tests are generally of two types:
Cancer screening tests are tests to check for early cancer, usually before the patient develops any symptoms. Screening tests only help learn if the patient is at risk. They cannot diagnose cancer.
PSA is a blood test to screen for prostate cancer. Both normal and cancerous cells of the prostate gland produce prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is a type of protein. A PSA blood test is usually done to measure the levels of this antigen in the blood. When there is a spike in the levels of PSA, it may indicate prostate cancer. This is why it is also known as gold standard test to detect prostate cancer in its early stages.
However, other conditions like inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate enlargement, age, and infections may also cause an increase in the PSA level in the blood.
Results:
Further tests may be conducted to assess men with a high prostate cancer risk. These include:
Result: If the doctor feels any lump or hardness, further tests like a biopsy may be prescribed. However, it is essential to know that digital rectal examination does not produce precise results and is hence, not the most accurate test for prostate cancer.
After studying the signs and symptoms, conducting a physical examination, and checking the patient's medical history, a disease or condition is diagnosed with the help of diagnostic prostate cancer tests.
The various diagnostic tests for prostate cancer include the following:
Result: An mpMRI shows if there is any cancer present in the prostate, whether it has spread to other parts of the body or is aggressive.
The types of biopsies that the doctor may perform are:
Result:
Result: A PHI score between 0-26.9 indicates a probability of about 10% cancer, whereas a PHI scores greater than 55 indicates a probability of about 50% of cancer found during a biopsy.
The most accurate test for diagnosing prostate cancer among all the existing tests is a prostate biopsy. This is because not only it helps confirm the presence of cancer cells but also the type and grade of the cancer. When a tissue sample is taken through MRI and studied under a microscope it shows the multiple number of cancerous cells.
Other tests like PSA and DRE do not always result in 100% accuracy and can only be used as preliminary tests to detect prostate cancer.
It is essential to remember that all the above mentioned tests are important for accurately diagnosing prostate cancer. Only a single test is not sufficient for diagnosis, and a healthcare provider will have to carry a series of test to diagnose the presence of cancer and determine its stage.
Prostate cancer is a serious condition. Timely diagnosis and treatment is important to provide a good prognosis to the patient. Since the symptoms of prostate cancer take time to appear, periodic screening tests like PSA tests and DREs are advised, especially in men at high risk.
Although various prostate cancer tests are available, a biopsy is the most accurate test for prostate cancer. New blood tests, including Prostate health index (PHI) and 4K score, are also found to produce results with good accuracy.
At HexaHealth, our team of highly qualified experts aims to provide the correct diagnosis to the patient and treatment plans and provide you with details about what is the most accurate test for prostate cancer. At HexaHealth, our goal is to provide our patients with the best services that are not only affordable but also of excellent quality.
We ensure that all our patients are comfortable at all times and are left fully satisfied with our healthcare services.
In order to check for prostate cancer, you can get a Prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) done. The results from the test will help your doctor in knowing if you are at risk of prostate cancer or not.
Yes, prostate cancer may be detected with a Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. However, it can be confirmed only after a biopsy.
Although MRI scans can accurately detect prostate cancer, they cannot show all cancers. Hence, a biopsy is better than MRI as it is the most accurate test for prostate cancer.
A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is the most useful first-line test for prostate cancer, as it detects if the patient is at risk of prostate cancer, which helps the doctor carry out further tests.
Prostate health index (PHI) and 4K score are the new tests for prostate cancer.
Although PSA levels between 4.0ng/ml to 10ng/ml are suspicious and indicate a risk of prostate cancer, a PSA level of more than 10ng/ml indicates a much higher risk of prostate cancer and is an alarming PSA level.
A PSA blood test is more accurate when compared to DRE. This is because the PSA test can show the concentration (level) of PSA in the blood.
If your PSA levels are high, then you can lower them by
When the PSA level rises above 4ng/ml, the doctor may recommend a biopsy, as a PSA level of 4ng/ml or above indicates an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Urinary tract infections may cause an increase in PSA levels. Apart from this, a study also found that non-genitourinary and systemic infections may also cause high PSA.
Before a PSA test, ensure that you do not do the following things:
PSA can be falsely elevated by the following
If your PSA is elevated, a urologist may perform a digital rectal examination of the prostate to look for any lumps or hardness, and conduct further diagnostic tests to rule out or confirm the possibility of prostate cancer.
Last Updated on: 4 January 2023
MBBS, DNB General Surgery, Fellowship in Minimal Access Surgery, FIAGES
12 Years Experience
Dr Aman Priya Khanna is a well-known General Surgeon, Proctologist and Bariatric Surgeon currently associated with HealthFort Clinic, Health First Multispecialty Clinic in Delhi. He has 12 years of experience in General Surgery and worke...View More
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