Study seeks improved prostate cancer test

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they are studying biological clues called biomarkers that predict whether a man will get prostate cancer and if it requires treatment.

The Cancer Therapy & Research Center at the University of Texas is currently enrolling patients for three studies aiming at finding a blood or urine test that would read prostate cancer biomarkers, a university release said Tuesday.

Most men have a good chance of developing prostate cancer later in life, and early diagnosis is key to stopping its progression, researchers say.

However, while more than 90 percent of U.S. men diagnosed with prostate cancer are treated, not every man with prostate cancer needs radical treatments that can cause side effects like incontinence and impotence, CTRC Director Ian M. Thompson says.

"I see lots and lots of people with prostate cancer each year. I know that many of these men will never have a problem with their cancer," Thompson says. "We're looking to really only treat those people that need it."

The ultimate goal of the studies is to find a test that would predict the man whose known, apparently low-risk prostate cancer is at risk of becoming more aggressive, researchers say.