Which Men Are Likely To Have Persistent Prostate Cancer?

[Guest guest]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215103308.htm

ScienceDaily (Feb. 15, 2008) — A new Fox

Chase Cancer Center study suggests a biopsy reveals more important information

about a man's prostate cancer than previously understood. Doctors hope the new

findings will help them tailor radiation treatment.

Snip

" Larger

tumors are believed to be more likely to persist after treatment, but what

defines a larger tumor has been controversial, " said Buyyounouski.

" What we found was that a high percentage of cancer observed in the biopsy

taken before treatment correlated with a higher probability of a positive

biopsy after treatment. This information is important because locally

persistent prostate cancer may result in laterspread of the disease and

possibly death. "

Buyyounouski

explained that other researchers have explored the use of biopsy information to

identify higher risk of recurrence for men with prostate cancer. Using a

percentage of positive biopsy cores has been advocated by some, but these types

of studies compared the cores to PSA level after treatment and not

post-treatment biopsies.

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