BioReference Release: A Better Prostate Cancer Test? New Advanced Tools Help Identify Aggressive Prostate Cancer
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - September 07, 2016) -
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In 2016, there are expected to be 180,890 new cases of prostate cancer, which increases the demand for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests. These screenings play a key role in diagnosing and treating prostate cancer early on, when it's confined to the prostate and still curable.
According to Dr. Harry Fisch, Board Certified Urologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Medical College of Cornell University, the screening process is simple. Dr. Fisch explains that a doctor performs a digital rectal exam, followed by a blood test to detect and asses the prostate-specific antigens that are present in the blood. Through this simple process, men will know if they are at a risk for prostate cancer. Men need to be aware both of the risk for prostate cancer and how simple an initial screening can be. Most men don't know what their PSA level is, or if they do, what it means. This is the critical part of the diagnosis. If their level is deemed "high," the doctor may recommend a biopsy, but of the one million prostate biopsies performed each year, a full 75 percent of them reveal no cancer.
The good news is that advanced tests are constantly being developed, including a new tool from OPKO Health, the 4Kscore Test. This simple blood test fills the gap between a PSA and a biopsy, because it is able to offer a closer look at a higher PSA reading and -- before deciding if an individual needs a biopsy -- far more accurately assess his risk of having aggressive prostate cancer. The 4Kscore Test takes the PSA level into account, in addition to three other prostate-specific proteins. This helps identify men who may have gone undiagnosed and need a biopsy, while reducing the need for a biopsy in lower risk men. The 4Kscore is performed at BioReference Laboratories and GenPath Diagnostics, and is used by physicians across the country.
For more information, visit 4Kscore.com.
BioReference Laboratories
BioReference Laboratories, an OPKO Health company, is the third largest full service clinical laboratory in the U.S. providing testing and related services to physician offices, clinics, hospitals, long term care facilities, employers, governmental units and correctional institutions. Our expert division, GenPath Diagnostics, specializes in cancer diagnostics offering a comprehensive cancer patient workup in one laboratory. From special coagulation testing to complex genomic testing for tumor sequencing and hereditary cancer syndromes, the full spectrum of a cancer patient work-up is covered.