Tests may predict prostate cancer spread

DALLAS, June 19 (UPI) -- Seven biomarkers in blood tests may help doctors predict if prostate cancer will recur or spread, U.S. researchers said.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas have identified a panel of seven biomarkers -- proteins in the blood specific to a disease -- for prostate cancer.

"We found that a combination of independent yet complementary markers may provide a more accurate prediction outcome compared to single markers," lead study author Dr. Shahrokh Shariat said in a statement. "This could help physicians provide individualized care and targeted therapy for patients. It will also allow us to design clinical trials to target these individual biomarkers."

The study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, measured the levels of seven biomarkers in 423 patients subsequently treated surgically.

Of the study participants, 75 had a recurrence of their cancer. All 75 had elevated levels of at least several of the seven biomarkers. Shariat's seven-biomarker model was able to accurately predict the risk for recurrence 86.6 percent of the time, the study said.