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What surprising health secrets can the PSA test reveal?
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is an enzyme produced by prostate cells and is mainly found in male semen. This antigen is gaining attention as a screening tool for prostate cancer in older men. Although the PSA test does not specifically point to prostate cancer, elevated levels can also indicate other health problems with the prostate, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis.
The PSA test is by far one of the most commonly used prostate cancer screening methods, and its results can reveal a lot of important information about men's health.
Medical Diagnostic Uses of PSA Test
The main medical use of PSA is in diagnosing prostate cancer. In fact, many men feel anxious and uneasy when taking a PSA test. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the PSA test as an annual screening tool for men over 50 and requires doctors to inform patients about the risks and benefits before taking the test.
Although PSA testing helps 1 in 1,000 men avoid death from prostate cancer, there is still a risk that 4 to 5 men may die from the disease 10 years after screening.
During the screening process, when the PSA level is between 4 and 10 ng/mL, further testing is required to confirm the results. When elevated PSA levels are accompanied by other indicators, doctors may recommend a biopsy to obtain a tissue sample for pathological analysis.
Screening controversies and risks
Prostate cancer screening practices are controversial due to the potential for overdiagnosis and subsequent overtreatment. False-positive results can cause anxiety in men and lead to unnecessary biopsies, which can lead to complications such as infection and pain.
Of 1,000 men screened, 29 will experience erectile dysfunction, while 18 may face problems such as urinary incontinence.
As screening and treatment progress, some men choose to undergo PSA testing and often undergo treatment, although low-risk cells usually do not cause symptoms.
Monitoring and follow-up after treatment
After receiving treatment for prostate cancer, your doctor will monitor your PSA levels regularly. If the procedure goes well, PSA usually drops below the detection limit within a few weeks after surgical treatment. If PSA rises again above 0.2 ng/mL, it is considered an indicator of cancer recurrence.
After radiation therapy, PSA levels may continue to decrease for years and do not directly reflect the recurrence or persistence of the cancer.
Therefore, researchers are working to improve the accuracy of PSA testing, with trends such as the introduction of multiparametric MRI imaging to assist in effective risk stratification and diagnosis.
Forensic uses of PSA
In addition to medical diagnosis, PSA has also found its importance in forensic medicine. Scientists initially hoped to discover a substance that could aid in rape investigations, but found that PSA levels could be used to indicate the presence of semen in a sample. This makes PSA an effective indicator for detecting semen in forensic medicine.
The high expression of PSA makes it the main indicator for identifying male semen, and the threshold found in a series of samples is 4 ng/mL.
Biochemical properties of PSA
As a glycoprotein mainly produced by the prostate, PSA testing can reflect the health of the prostate. PSA is found in many biological fluids and tissues, and is not limited to men. It can also be detected in some female biological fluids, making its name controversial.
Future research directions
With the advancement of medicine and biotechnology, the accuracy of PSA testing has received increasing attention. Future research may focus on more precise diagnostic tools, coupled with new technologies such as artificial intelligence, to improve early screening of diseases. In addition, further exploration of PSA may also lead to changes in the understanding and countermeasures of prostate-related diseases.
These health secrets about PSA are crucial to men's health, which makes people think about how we can use this information more effectively to improve health in the future?
