Researchers Develop Model to Help Patients Understand Prostate Cancer RIsk

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a model to help doctors and patients understand the results of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests used to screen for prostate cancer.

Roughly 10 million PSA tests are performed annually, but few tools exist to “interpret the results and help patients decide what course of action to take.” Around 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and “risk varies depending on age and race.” This new model aims to “take into account how long someone may live or the benefit a patient may receive from treatment.”

Existing risk calculators “are less accurate or predict prostate cancer risk through biopsy-based tests…which require tissue samples and extra processing time.” PSA scores can “impact both doctor and patient behavior, leading to biopsy referrals even when the risk of harm from prostate cancer is low.” This model aims to reduce the number of unnecessary referrals.

The researchers took into account “family history of prostate cancer, race, age, body mass index, smoking status and a history of hypertension, diabetes, or stroke” in crafting the model. It was tested using PSA scores from over 200,000 patients and was “able to predict the risk for prostate cancer-specific mortality and highlight which patients would benefit from further treatment.”