Men urged to know their PSA ‘fingerprint’ to guard against the risks of prostate cancer

19th September 2009

Developing your own unique ‘PSA fingerprint’ can play a significant role in guarding against the risks of prostate cancer.

The Birmingham Prostate Clinic is giving men their Personal PSA Record Card to keep and maintain the results of this important test.

The PSA test measures the levels of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) in the blood, which provides a risk assessment for prostate cancer.

A patient with a higher level of PSA, depending on their age and other risk factors, may be more likely to have prostate cancer and need further diagnostic tests.

However it is very valuable for doctors to have several PSA measurements so they can see how the PSA is behaving over a period of time.

Clinical director of The Birmingham Prostate Clinic, consultant urologist Alan Doherty said: “Regular measurements of your PSA can help to identify prostate cancer early and ensure you have timely and appropriate treatment.

“By taking this Personal PSA Record Card to each appointment and asking for your PSA levels to be added, you will build up a PSA ‘fingerprint’, providing doctors with a valuable record of how your PSA is behaving over time.

“Doctors are concerned about a sudden rise in PSA and reassured if it remains stable, even if the PSA is relatively high for age.

“Men can be more reluctant than women to take an active role in their healthcare and have regular checks to guard against disease. This is a simple way of reducing the risk of the most common form of male cancer.

“It is important to understand that PSA is not a diagnostic test – it is a risk analysis for the presence of prostate cancer. Your doctor will discuss the best treatment for you.”

Every year, 32,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK, according to the Prostate Cancer Charity.

Mr Doherty is one of the UK’s leading surgeons offering nearly all methods of treatment for prostate cancer including laparoscopic (keyhole) prostatectomies, brachytherapy (seeds) and HIFU.

Mr Doherty has carried out over 700 prostatectomies, which involve the removal of the prostate. He specialises in nerve-sparing prostatectomies, aimed at preserving the neighbouring nerves in order to reduce the risk of impotency and incontinence.

The Birmingham Prostate Clinic is also a major centre for GreenLight laser treatment for the enlarged prostate (BPH or benign prostate hyperplasia), having carried out 150 procedures in centres across the West Midlands.