Great breakthrough in prostate cancer diagnosis

Will prostate cancer be more effective in the future??

Prostate cancer is a disease that unfortunately affects many men around the world. Researchers have now developed a more successful form of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment that could save millions of lives in the future.

Researchers at Dundee University found in their recent research that new imaging techniques have increased accuracy and reliability in diagnosing prostate cancer. This could lead to improved treatment of the disease in the future. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Journal of Urology".

Prostate cancer leads to the death of many men every year. A novel form of diagnosis could make the identification of prostate cancer much more effective. (Image: Korta / fotolia.com)

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor disease that causes the death of many people worldwide. In Germany, about three out of every hundred men die of the disease. In men with cancer, this cancer accounts for about ten percent of all deaths. This makes prostate cancer the third most common lethal cancer in men.

New method is much more accurate

An ultrasound process called shear wave elastography can provide much greater accuracy and reliability in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. This method is non-invasive and less expensive than the currently used method. The current diagnostic and treatment methods for prostate cancer are still significantly flawed, say the scientists. The most commonly used tests for prostate cancer include a so-called PSA blood test, a prostate physical examination (known as Digital Rectal Examination), MRI scans, and a biopsy.

Problems with previous treatments

Each of these forms brings with it considerable problems. The PSA test is not offered as a standard treatment and the results can be unreliable, explain the physicians. A digital rectal exam can not reliably determine if an ulcer is benign and what form of treatment is needed. MRI scans are not widely available and can not always give a definitive answer. The biopsy is invasive, carries a risk of infection and is expensive, the experts add.

Current diagnosis of prostate cancer is extremely inefficient

Prostate cancer is one of the most difficult to locate cancers. "We are still in a position where the diagnosis of prostate cancer is extremely inefficient, leading to unnecessary treatments for many patients," said study author Professor Ghulam Nabi of Dundee University in a press release. "The new method we have developed shows that we can reach a much higher level of diagnosis, including identifying the difference between cancerous and benign tissue without invasive surgery," adds the expert.

Early diagnosis and diagnosis are crucial

An early diagnosis is the key to a successful end result of the therapy. The news of the current breakthrough is just right here - at a time when prostate cancer is becoming more prominent in public awareness anyway, not least because of the worrying upward trend in its prevalence.

Ultrasound is more accurate

In the newly developed method, the prostate is examined by ultrasound. Cancer tissue is stiffer than normal tissue, and when the shear waves penetrate the cancerous tissue, they slow down, say the physicians. This effect can be measured and used to develop images of the cancerous area with a definition and accuracy that outperforms other scanning methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Investigation identified 89 percent of cancers

The technology has been able to detect 89 percent of prostate cancers, identifying more aggressive cancers, as well as those that spread outside the prostate. "It's like someone turned on the light in a darkened room. We can now see with greater accuracy which tissue is cancerous, where it is and what level of treatment it needs, "explains the expert.

Further research is needed

This is a significant advance in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer. The investigation involved about 200 patients. Further research is now needed to obtain additional information. But the new method clearly has the potential to fundamentally change the way prostate cancer is treated, the doctors add. (As)