Johns Hopkins on PSA and indication of possible PCa in the future

Seems like I can't link these reports to open for others so I have to resort to cut and paste.

This study would appear to fly in the face of those learned bodies that advocate against early psa testing to establish baselines. It is also the best definition of what PSA is, and why it is, that I have found in my research on understanding PCa.

Researchers take a close look at PSA levels in men around age 50 and their findings reveal important data on the course of prostate cancer.

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures an enzyme produced almost exclusively by the glandular cells of the prostate. It is secreted during ejaculation into the prostatic ducts that empty into the urethra. PSA liquefies semen after ejaculation, promoting the release of sperm.

Normally, only very small amounts of PSA are present in the blood. But an abnormality of the prostate can disrupt the normal architecture of the gland and create an opening for PSA to pass into the bloodstream. Thus, high blood levels of PSA can indicate prostate problems, including cancer.

Now research reported in BMC Medicine (Volume 6, page 6), indicates that a man's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at or before age 50 can predict his risk of developing advanced prostate cancer 25 years later.

Researchers analyzed data from blood samples collected from about 21,000 men between 1974 and 1986 as part of the Malmö [Sweden] Preventive Medicine Study. By 1999, 498 of the men had developed prostate cancer. Because not all elevated PSA levels indicate a clinically relevant cancer, the researchers focused only on the risk of developing locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer. This was defined as the presence of metastases or as clinical stage T3 or higher at the time of diagnosis. By this definition, 161 of the men had potentially life-threatening disease.

Bottom line: The researchers found that a man's PSA level around age 50 was a strong predictor of the development of advanced prostate cancer later in life. Even a modestly increased PSA level of 1.01 to 2.0 ng/mL increased the odds of developing advanced prostate cancer by several percentage points. These results suggest that PSA level in middle age might be used to determine which men need more intensive prostate cancer screening and which can be screened less frequently.

Sonny

Sephie,

Thanks for asking. We are holding our own.

Lynn enjoyed our trip to Sanibel this last weekend. It was her first overnight trip in the RV and she said she now understands why so many people love the lifestyle. She is ready for more trips and told me to start the planning.

We look to be on the road as soon as my son's college baseball season ends.

The best to you and John,

Sonny

I am trying to figure out what is new about this Hopkins report. The work of Dr. Hans G. Lilja showed this years ago, including that approximately 50% of advanced prostate cancers occurred in people who had baseline PSAs within the top 10% for their age (PSA of 1.2 ng/mL or higher before age 50). Seems what JHU has done is simply some sort of re-working of the Lilja data. But maybe there's more to it and I simply don't fully understand.

It's a great reminder to those that don't believe the value in PSA testing. Thanks for sharing Sonny!

Am I understanding this study as saying that men who have an elevated PSA at 50 have a greater chance of an elevated PSA/PC later ?  Is this kind of just common sense ?

I 'm not bright enough to see the scientific breakthrough on this .

Hey, Sonny's just reporting what he read and sharing it. No need to over analyze it to death. It will still be "news" to some of our newer brothers. Thanks for posting it Sonny.

David in SC