Prostate Cancer: are you at risk?

Prostate Cancer: are you at risk?, negative predictive value | Medical Supply Company

Each year there are approximately 3,400 men diagnosed with prostate cancer.  1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in Ireland and often begins without symptoms.

What is prostate cancer?

This type of cancer is marked by an uncontrolled (malignant) growth of cells in the prostate gland that form a lump called a tumour.   The prostate is the walnut-sized gland in men, located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum, surrounding the urethra – the tube that carries urine out of the bladder. The prostate produces and stores fluid that helps to make semen and is involved in regulating bladder control.

Who is at risk for prostate cancer?

Age: As men grow older, the risk of prostate cancer increases. Prostate cancer mainly affects men over the age of 50.

Family history: If an immediate family member (father or brother) has had prostate cancer, you are thought to be 2 times more likely to get this cancer. The risk is higher again if your relative had prostate cancer at a young age or if you have more than one relative from the same side of the family with prostate cancer.

Ethnic group: Men of African-Caribbean descent are more likely to develop prostate cancer and are more likely to die from it than white men.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Many men with early prostate cancer have no symptoms at all. Others may have difficulty peeing or other problems with peeing such as:

●            Going more often than usual, especially at night

●            Stopping and starting

●            Feeling like you have not completely emptied your bladder

●            Feeling pain or discomfort

Less common symptoms:

●            Pain in your lower back, hips or upper thighs

●            Trouble having or keeping an erection

●            Blood in your pee

How is prostate cancer diagnosed?

Cancer of the prostate screening consists of:

Digital rectal examination – the doctor inserts a lubricated gloved finger into the rectum to check for lumps on the prostate

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test – a blood sample is analysed for levels of a protein produced by the prostate that, when elevated, can indicate the presence of cancer.

New urinary (PCA3 and MDx Select) and blood (4K score and PHI test) biomarkers are also used at times to screen for prostate cancer in men considered to be at-risk for the diagnosis.

MSC are distributors of the Mitomic™ Prostate Test from MDNA Life Sciences and it is the most accurate way of determining if a patient is at risk of having clinically significant prostate cancer, outperforming every other test on the market with just a simple blood test. Its high negative predictive value for clinically significant cancer enables more accurate and informed biopsy decisions.

  • A simple blood test with unrivalled accuracy
  • 97-100% negative predictive value
  • Independent of PSA and age
  • No algorithm, just a simple yes or no

For more information on our MDNA Life Sciences products click here

If you would like to get in touch with a product specialist to find out more about the Mitomic® Prostate Test Real-Time PCR Kit CE-IVD please click below to get in touch

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