Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Prostate cancer testing is used to diagnose this potentially curable disease in men who would die prematurely if they have cancer and it is not found early.
For nearly 80 percent of men with prostate cancer, the disease is diagnosed early, in the local or regional stages. The five-year survival rate for these men is 100 percent. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate for all men with prostate cancer has increased from 67 percent to 92 percent over the past 20 years, primarily because men are being diagnosed at earlier stages than in the past.
The American Cancer Society recommends annual screening for all men over the age of 50 who have a life expectancy of at least 10 years. Annual screening consists of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal exam (DRE). Men who are at higher-than-average risk—including African American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer—should begin annual screening at age 40.
The American Cancer Society also recommends that all men who have a PSA score above 10 ng/mL should undergo a prostate biopsy. A PSA level greater than or equal to 4.0 ng/mL indicates the possibility of cancer. However, abnormal results alone are not sufficient to diagnose prostate cancer. For example, a non-cancerous, common condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia can also cause elevated PSA levels.
The following tests are used to diagnose prostate cancer.
Total Prostate Specific Antigen Levels
Normal PSA levels in men are determined using statistical methods, usually defined as any level less than 2 standard deviations above the average. In men under 60 years of age, this number is 2.5 ng/mL, while in men over 60 it is 4.0 ng/mL.
Abnormal PSA results are those that are persistently elevated for up to three months of repeat testing. There is increasing evidence that men whose PSA levels are within the normal range but increase by 0.5 ng/mL for two to three consecutive years could also be at higher risk for cancer.
Free PSA Levels
The free PSA test is usually ordered only if the total PSA is elevated. It will help determine if further diagnostic tests are needed. This test is a subset of the total PSA. The free PSA level is divided by the total level to get a percent free PSA. The lower the percent free, the higher the prostate cancer risk. A result less than 15 percent means you have a higher risk for cancer. It is not clear that a low percent free PSA with a normal total PSA is a significant risk by itself.
Complexed PSA Levels
This is a relatively new blood test being investigated to see if it will help increase the accuracy of the total PSA test for cancer detection. It is not yet known if accuracy is improved with this test.
Urinary PCA3 Testing
This is a test for proteins in the urine after vigorous prostate massage thought to improve the accuracy of total/free PSA testing. Although available, this test has not been thoroughly reviewed in clinical trials to determine its accuracy in improving cancer detection. It can be used as an additional factor to recommend biopsy in addition to total/free PSA changes in men who have had prior biopsies without evidence of cancer. But it is not a stand-alone test, and it requires further study.
Digital Rectal Exam
The urologist’s exam of the prostate is to assess the texture of the gland. Firm areas of the prostate, or nodules, significantly increase the likelihood of prostate cancer. Differences in size of the prostate overall, or even one side versus the other, have not been associated with increased cancer risk. Optimal prostate cancer detection requires the use of DRE along with PSA testing; neither one alone is enough.
Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS)
TRUS is no longer used as a screening test for prostate cancer. This procedure requires using a probe that is inserted into the rectum. It is used to perform a prostate biopsy. If areas of concern for cancer are seen, they are sampled. (See biopsy information below).
Prostate Biopsy
Biopsy remains the only way to effectively diagnose prostate cancer. The technique of biopsy used by the urologist is critical to avoid missing cancers and to accurately gain information necessary to recommend treatment. Biopsy is performed in the doctor’s office, using a TRUS probe and local anesthetic. If done correctly, there should be very little discomfort, and it should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes. If you have a nodule in your prostate that cannot be seen with the TRUS, the urologist may do additional biopsies of the nodule using a finger in your rectum to guide the needle. The technique of biopsy to optimize cancer detection requires obtaining 10 to 15 cores of tissue from the various regions of the prostate where most cancers tend to occur. This is called the peripheral zone.
If you are undergoing a repeat biopsy, the number of cores may be higher and will include less commonly involved areas of the prostate (the transition zone or anterior prostate). Each core must be a good sample and will range in size from 2 mm to 20 mm. A good core should be at least 10 to 15 mm.
Samples that are too small may prevent cancer cells from being detected. The urologist should look at each sample as it is obtained to determine if it is adequate.
Risks of Biopsy
Risks of biopsies include infection, blood in urine or stools, and blood in the semen with orgasm.
Antibiotics may be prescribed; however, in men without any prior urinary infections, the risk of infection is very low.
Blood in the urine or stools is normal for even two to three weeks after the biopsy and rarely requires any intervention. If you are on blood thinners, your urologist should provide specific guidelines for their use around a biopsy.
Blood in the semen with orgasm is also normal for two to three months. Semen will be red or brown. It is not infectious.
Biopsy Showing No Cancer
If your biopsy reveals you are cancer-free, your doctor should still keep in close contact with you. Regular free PSA and total PSA testing and a DRE are recommended at intervals that vary based on your individual situation. Another biopsy in the future may be required if changes are seen in your PSA levels or DRE results. A specific level of PSA increase requiring a repeat biopsy has not been clearly determined.
Biopsy Finding Prostate Cancer
If your biopsy reveals cancer, certain information is available from the biopsy that helps your doctor determine whether to recommend aggressive treatment, as well as the likely success of the various treatments.
Gleason Grade & Gleason Score
This refers to the aggressiveness of the cancer based on how the biopsy samples look under the microscope. The pathologist will look at the samples and assign one Gleason grade, from 1 to 5, for the most common tumor found and a second Gleason grade, from 1 to 5, for the next most common tumor found. These two numbers are added together to give the Gleason score. The total score can range from 2 to 10, with 2 to 4 being low aggressive, 5 to 6 being medium aggressive, and 7 to 10 being high aggressive. Gleason scores are usually represented as an equation, such as 3+3 = 6 or 3+4 = 7.
Checking for Cancer Spread Beyond the Prostate
There is no test that can accurately find out if cancer has microscopically spread elsewhere in your body. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis and a nuclear medicine bone scan may be used to determine if metastasis has occurred. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (even an endorectal coil study) may occasionally be ordered to check for local cancer spread outside the prostate, but at present it has no clear benefit over the other information acquired at the time of diagnosis.
These tests are not required in everyone with a positive biopsy. They are usually reserved for those men with a high PSA, high grade, or high-volume cancer, or a large nodule on exam.