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New biomarkers to reduce prostate biopsies

01/25/12

A license was recently acquired for two biomarkers that when used together can reduce the need for prostate biopsies by more than 50 percent.

The biomarkers that were recently acquired by OPKO Health were developed by researchers at the University of Malmo, Sweden, the University of Turku, Finland, and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York.

The research conducted on the biomarkers showed that they can predict initial biopsy results in men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

"As a physician who sees many men with elevated PSA levels, I believe this novel panel of kallikrein biomarkers will help us to greatly reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies performed with their attendant side effects and added costs," said Peter Scardino, chief of surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "The research supporting the value of this panel is sound, and has been validated in thousands of patients in different clinical settings, including initial PSA screening, repeated screenings, and in men with a previous negative biopsy."

Scardino also said that used in conjunction with tests for prostate specific antigen, the biomarkers can greatly reduce the need for invasive prostate biopsies to diagnose prostate cancer and determine treatment options.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there were about 240,890 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2011, which might cause some to take a serious look at securing life insurance.

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