The new screening method, Prostate Heath Index, compares blood levels of three types of PSA, which can better differentiate between elevated PSA and other benign contributing factors.
Elevated PSA levels may indicate the presence of prostate cancer but may also be caused by inflammation or enlargement of the prostate gland, or other conditions.
The new screening method, also called the Pro-PSA test, more accurately detected cancer, particularly the aggressive forms, in men over 50 with dubious total PSA levels.
The Mount Sinai Medical Center Department of Urology and Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery vice chairman David Samadi said it is important to note that although the combination of the three tests outperformed any other single screening methods, it is not a perfect predictor of prostate cancer risk.
The new Prostate Health Index or Pro-PSA test was recently approved for commercial use in Europe.
Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the study data which was supported by Beckman Coulter, a biomedical test developer and manufacturer.
