Originally published June 22 2005
Prostate test not as accurate as previously thought
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In this Q and A article with Dr. Andrew Weil, the doctor talks about what men should do now that the prostate specific antigen (PSA) has been proven to not be an accurate test for determining prostate cancer risk.
ANSWER: Results of a study published in the May 27, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the blood test for prostate cancer misses about 15 percent of all cases, some of which are aggressive enough to be life-threatening.
The test looks for a protein (prostate specific antigen, known as PSA) released by prostate cells when cancer is present and as the prostate enlarges, which it does as men age.
Now that the study has found that some men with a PSA of four or lower may have cancer, doctors don't know what to recommend.
Others think there already are too many biopsies, too much testing and needless treatment of prostate cancers that never might become life-threatening.
Although prostate cancer can be aggressive, most tumors grow slowly, and the risk of death is low - only 3 percent.
What we need is a better test to distinguish between slow-growing tumors that may not require treatment and fast-growing cancer that demands an aggressive approach.
In the meantime, make sure that you and your doctor are aware of your personal risks.
The incidence of prostate cancer increases with age, and the disease occurs most frequently among African-American men, those with a family history of the disease, and those whose diets are high in animal fat.
To reduce your risk, include more pink grapefruit, watermelon and cooked tomatoes in your diet.
All contain the prostate protective antioxidant lycopene.
I also recommend drinking lots of water - dehydration stresses the prostate - adding soy foods to your diet and eating less fat, particularly saturated fats found in red meat as well as hydrogenated oils, processed foods and other sources of trans fats.
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