Spot prostate cancer in 10 minutes
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 4:10 am under World News Spot prostate cancer in 10 minutes
Imagine walking into a lab in the lunch hour to undergo a clinical test for prostate cancer and coming out in just ten minutes with the result. Cut to reality. Scientists in Britain have developed a blood test which they claim can assess the level of a cancer marker, called Prostate Specific Antigen, in ten minutes.
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is a protein which leaks out of the prostate gland when it is damaged. A raised PSA level does not necessarily mean the patient has prostate cancer, but could suggest the need for further investigation. Previously, men had to wait several days for results. Now, the test, called PSAWatch, will make it easier to screen men for prostate cancer — it needs a small drop of blood from a finger-prick which is analysed using a portable machine, according to the scientists.
“We have come to rely heavily on the PSA test for prostate cancer screening in the UK, and it forms an important part of the specialist referral criteria used by GPs. “This test will be invaluable for patients who have active surveillance of their PSA levels or for patients who need regular monitoring of disease progression or success of treatment.
“For these patients, any delay can cause extreme anxiety and unnecessary distress,” Dr Tim Larner, a consultant urologist at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, was quoted by the British newspaper as saying. The test costs around 40 pounds and is currently being made available throughout Britain.
(Agencies)
( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)
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