- PSA: Early stage prostate cancer is frequently detected by an increased value of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) in the blood. An increased PSA value may be caused by prostate cancer but can also be a result of other conditions, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostatitis.1,2 According to the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare, patients with PSA values above 4 µg/l should be remitted to a urologist for further evaluation and eventually have prostate biopsies taken to determine if prostate cancer is present.1
- Biopsies and Gleason Score: If prostate cancer is suspected, the urologist will take a biopsy. During this procedure, small needles are used to collect multiple samples of prostate tissue. A pathologist examines the samples under a microscope and determines the Gleason Score on a scale from 2 (almost normal) to 10 (very malignant). A Gleason Score of 7 or higher indicates moderate to aggressive tumors, which may require immediate and more aggressive treatment. However, other factors such as age, general health and clinical factors influence the determination of the patient’s prognosis and treatment plan.
Choosing the Optimal Treatment
Less than 25 % of patients die from their prostate cancer. Nevertheless, up to 90 % receive radical treatment such as prostatectomy or radiation, although conservative strategies such as active surveillance would often be sufficient.
Radical treatments are frequently associated with adverse effects, including incontinence and impotence, which reduces the quality of life for the patient significantly. For the patient it is therefore crucial to avoid overtreatment of non-life-threatening tumors. On the other hand, undertreatment of aggressive tumors will worsen the state of the patient which could be avoided by optimal treatment.
Current clinical parameters such as PSA, digital rectal examination and Gleason score cannot accurately estimate the aggressiveness of a tumor and are often not sufficient to make an informed decision about the optimal treatment.
The Prostatype® Test System helps to choose the optimal treatment strategy for each patient. This secures quality of life for patients with a low risk tumor without jeopardizing safety for patients with aggressive tumors.