Liebe Mitstreiter!
Hans (HWL) hat mir schon vor einiger Zeit zwei Veröffentlichungen mit der Bitte um Übersetzung übermittelt; allerdings bin ich bislang nicht dazu gekommen und weiß daher nicht, ob die Sachverhalte inzwischen bereits von jemand Anderem ins Forum eingestellt worden.
Aus Gründen der Arbeitsersparnis fasse ich die Artikel jeweils nur kurz zusammen. Sollten weitere Fragen bestehen, kann ich noch etwas mehr übersetzen bzw. der Interessierte kann auch selber in den unten angehängten Artikeln nachschauen.
1. “PSA Nanotest”
Hier wird ein Verfahren vorgestellt, mit dem der PSA-Wert anhand eines kleinen Bluttropfens bestimmt werden kann, den man sich selber z.B. aus der Fingerkuppe entnehmen und dann auf einen Teststreifen aufbringen kann. Dieser Teststreifen wird dann ans Labor geschickt.
Als Vorteil wird gesehen, dass man nicht mehr zur Blutabnahme zum Arzt oder ins Labor fahren muss und dass das Ganze möglicherweise preiswerter vonstatten geht als der klassische PSA-Test. Dadurch könnten breitere PSA-Screenings veranlasst werden, um die Frühdiagnose weiter zu verbessern.
Der PSA-Nanotest sei derzeit zuverlässig bis zu einem PSA-Level von ca. 3ng/ml. Bei höheren Werten gibt es wegen zu geringer Fallzahlen im Test noch Unsicherheit.
In jedem Fall sind nach Aussage der Autoren noch klinische sowie Wirtschaftlichkeitsstudien erforderlich.
2. EPCA-2
EPCA-2 steht für Early Prostate Cancer Antigen (Frühzeitiges Prostatakrebs-Antigen). Es ist ein Tumormarker, der spezifisch für Prostatakrebs ist und im Blut nachgewiesen werden kann. Als vorteilhaft sieht man die Tatsache, dass das PSA nicht tumorspezifisch ist und erhöhte PSA-Werte auch durch Benigne Hyperplasie oder Prostatitis verursacht sein können.
Dieselben Forscher haben vor einiger Zeit EPCA-1 entdeckt – einen Tumormarker für PK, der im Gewebe nachgewiesen werden kann.
EPCA-1 befindet sich derzeit in Wirksamkeitsstudien, und für EPCA-2 beginnen demnächst größere klinische Studien, die das Verfahren eventuell schon in 18 Monaten verfügbar machen können.
Viele Grüße aus Wiesbaden
Schorschel
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PSA Nanotest Seen to Give Reliable Results
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 24 - Using blood spots collected by blotting paper to measure prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gives results that are comparable to those obtained using the standard PSA assay, especially for standard PSA levels < 5 ng/mL, a French study shows. The technique may permit cheaper, simpler screening for prostate cancer
The PSA nanotest, developed by Dr. Abdel-Rahmene Azzouzi of ffice:smarttags" />CHU d'Angers and colleagues and described in April issue of BJU International, measures PSA levels from a self-obtained drop of capillary blood taken by a finger prick and absorbed on to blotting paper, which is then mailed to a laboratory.
Dr. Azzouzi's team tested the reliability of the PSA nanotest against the standard PSA test in 205 men with no history of prostate disease. The men were between 41 and 75 years old (median age, 70). The two samples were collected at the same time and sent to the same laboratory.
The investigators report that 30 µL of blood was sufficient for the nanotest, giving a PSA value in pg/mL of blood. They found that "the nanotest threshold for an abnormal PSA level was 78 pg/mL, which corresponds to a standard PSA value of 3 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 100%."
The nanotest is reliable for PSA levels up to 5 µL on standard testing, according to the study team, "but above this value it seems to be less accurate." They caution, however, that only 15 of the 205 subjects (7.3%) had PSA levels above this level. Therefore, a larger study group would be needed to confirm the decrease in reliability with increasing PSA level.
Dr. Azzouzi's team notes that the standard PSA test, which requires expensive equipment, test kits, and skilled personnel, is not suitable for mass screening, whereas the PSA nanotest may be better suited for the purpose.
"We think the most feasible use of the nanotest is as a first-line screening test," they suggest. In the current study, men with a nanotest value of less than 78 pg/mL and greater than 133 pg/mL consistently had a standard PSA level, respectively, of less than and greater than 3 ng/mL.
"The nanotest results within that range (78-133 pg/mL) were therefore unreliable and represented only 16.7% of the subjects. A standard PSA test should be used systematically as a second-line screening test for this subgroup," the investigators conclude.
Economic and clinical studies are needed to confirm the usefulness of the PSA nanotest, Dr. Azzouzi and colleagues note.
BJU Int 2007;99:762-764.
New Blood Test for Prostate Cancer Showing Promise
Allison Gandey
April 27, 2007— Testing for a blood protein researchers are calling early prostate cancer antigen (EPCA)-2 may overcome some of the limitations of current practices. While screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been the standard of care for more than 2 decades, it is not specific for prostate cancer, and raised concentrations have been linked to other prostate conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis. Several groups have been working to identify new biomarkers for prostate cancer, and this latest effort, published in the April issue of Urology, shows that EPCA-2 has potential as a new serum-based test.
Due to elevated PSA levels, an estimated 1.6 million men undergo prostatic biopsies in the lace w:st="on">United States every year. Approximately 80% of these patients have negative results, reports a news release about the study. Conversely, about 15% of men with prostate cancer go undetected because their PSA levels are below the cutoff level.
EPCA-2 is the second prostate-cancer marker identified by the same researchers that has outperformed PSA. Last year, the team identified a tissue-based test, EPCA-1, that also proved effective in flagging prostate cancer. The only similarity between these markers is that they were discovered using the same approach. The efficacy of EPCA-1 as a test of biopsy samples is currently being studied.
Improved Early Detection and Reduced False Positives Compared With PSA Testing
"A blood test based on EPCA-2 may greatly improve our ability to accurately detect prostate cancer early, minimize the number of false positives, and lower the number of unnecessary biopsies," senior author Robert Getzenberg, PhD, from the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, Maryland, told reporters. "In addition, this is the first time we have a test that effectively distinguishes between men with cancer confined to the prostate and those whose disease has spread outside the gland."
Under a licensing agreement between Onconome Inc and thePittsburgh and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Getzenberg is entitled to a share of royalties received by the university on sales of products described in this paper. Dr. Getzenberg is also a paid consultant to Onconome. The terms of this arrangement are being managed by Johns Hopkins in accordance with its conflict-of-interest policies.
The current study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and Onconome. The group, led by Eddy Leman, PhD, also atHopkins , measured EPCA-2 levels in 330 patients separated into several groups:
The investigators report, "The results of our study have shown that EPCA-2 is a novel biomarker associated with prostate cancer that has high sensitivity and specificity and accurately differentiates between men with organ-confined and non–organ-confined disease." Dr. Getzenberg says larger clinical trials for EPCA-2 are planned that could make this test available in about 18 months.
Urology. 2007;69:714-720.
Hans (HWL) hat mir schon vor einiger Zeit zwei Veröffentlichungen mit der Bitte um Übersetzung übermittelt; allerdings bin ich bislang nicht dazu gekommen und weiß daher nicht, ob die Sachverhalte inzwischen bereits von jemand Anderem ins Forum eingestellt worden.
Aus Gründen der Arbeitsersparnis fasse ich die Artikel jeweils nur kurz zusammen. Sollten weitere Fragen bestehen, kann ich noch etwas mehr übersetzen bzw. der Interessierte kann auch selber in den unten angehängten Artikeln nachschauen.
1. “PSA Nanotest”
Hier wird ein Verfahren vorgestellt, mit dem der PSA-Wert anhand eines kleinen Bluttropfens bestimmt werden kann, den man sich selber z.B. aus der Fingerkuppe entnehmen und dann auf einen Teststreifen aufbringen kann. Dieser Teststreifen wird dann ans Labor geschickt.
Als Vorteil wird gesehen, dass man nicht mehr zur Blutabnahme zum Arzt oder ins Labor fahren muss und dass das Ganze möglicherweise preiswerter vonstatten geht als der klassische PSA-Test. Dadurch könnten breitere PSA-Screenings veranlasst werden, um die Frühdiagnose weiter zu verbessern.
Der PSA-Nanotest sei derzeit zuverlässig bis zu einem PSA-Level von ca. 3ng/ml. Bei höheren Werten gibt es wegen zu geringer Fallzahlen im Test noch Unsicherheit.
In jedem Fall sind nach Aussage der Autoren noch klinische sowie Wirtschaftlichkeitsstudien erforderlich.
2. EPCA-2
EPCA-2 steht für Early Prostate Cancer Antigen (Frühzeitiges Prostatakrebs-Antigen). Es ist ein Tumormarker, der spezifisch für Prostatakrebs ist und im Blut nachgewiesen werden kann. Als vorteilhaft sieht man die Tatsache, dass das PSA nicht tumorspezifisch ist und erhöhte PSA-Werte auch durch Benigne Hyperplasie oder Prostatitis verursacht sein können.
Dieselben Forscher haben vor einiger Zeit EPCA-1 entdeckt – einen Tumormarker für PK, der im Gewebe nachgewiesen werden kann.
EPCA-1 befindet sich derzeit in Wirksamkeitsstudien, und für EPCA-2 beginnen demnächst größere klinische Studien, die das Verfahren eventuell schon in 18 Monaten verfügbar machen können.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PSA Nanotest Seen to Give Reliable Results
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 24 - Using blood spots collected by blotting paper to measure prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gives results that are comparable to those obtained using the standard PSA assay, especially for standard PSA levels < 5 ng/mL, a French study shows. The technique may permit cheaper, simpler screening for prostate cancer
The PSA nanotest, developed by Dr. Abdel-Rahmene Azzouzi of ffice:smarttags" />
Dr. Azzouzi's team tested the reliability of the PSA nanotest against the standard PSA test in 205 men with no history of prostate disease. The men were between 41 and 75 years old (median age, 70). The two samples were collected at the same time and sent to the same laboratory.
The investigators report that 30 µL of blood was sufficient for the nanotest, giving a PSA value in pg/mL of blood. They found that "the nanotest threshold for an abnormal PSA level was 78 pg/mL, which corresponds to a standard PSA value of 3 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 100%."
The nanotest is reliable for PSA levels up to 5 µL on standard testing, according to the study team, "but above this value it seems to be less accurate." They caution, however, that only 15 of the 205 subjects (7.3%) had PSA levels above this level. Therefore, a larger study group would be needed to confirm the decrease in reliability with increasing PSA level.
Dr. Azzouzi's team notes that the standard PSA test, which requires expensive equipment, test kits, and skilled personnel, is not suitable for mass screening, whereas the PSA nanotest may be better suited for the purpose.
"We think the most feasible use of the nanotest is as a first-line screening test," they suggest. In the current study, men with a nanotest value of less than 78 pg/mL and greater than 133 pg/mL consistently had a standard PSA level, respectively, of less than and greater than 3 ng/mL.
"The nanotest results within that range (78-133 pg/mL) were therefore unreliable and represented only 16.7% of the subjects. A standard PSA test should be used systematically as a second-line screening test for this subgroup," the investigators conclude.
Economic and clinical studies are needed to confirm the usefulness of the PSA nanotest, Dr. Azzouzi and colleagues note.
BJU Int 2007;99:762-764.
New Blood Test for Prostate Cancer Showing Promise
Allison Gandey
April 27, 2007— Testing for a blood protein researchers are calling early prostate cancer antigen (EPCA)-2 may overcome some of the limitations of current practices. While screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been the standard of care for more than 2 decades, it is not specific for prostate cancer, and raised concentrations have been linked to other prostate conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis. Several groups have been working to identify new biomarkers for prostate cancer, and this latest effort, published in the April issue of Urology, shows that EPCA-2 has potential as a new serum-based test.
Due to elevated PSA levels, an estimated 1.6 million men undergo prostatic biopsies in the lace w:st="on">United States every year. Approximately 80% of these patients have negative results, reports a news release about the study. Conversely, about 15% of men with prostate cancer go undetected because their PSA levels are below the cutoff level.
EPCA-2 is the second prostate-cancer marker identified by the same researchers that has outperformed PSA. Last year, the team identified a tissue-based test, EPCA-1, that also proved effective in flagging prostate cancer. The only similarity between these markers is that they were discovered using the same approach. The efficacy of EPCA-1 as a test of biopsy samples is currently being studied.
Improved Early Detection and Reduced False Positives Compared With PSA Testing
"A blood test based on EPCA-2 may greatly improve our ability to accurately detect prostate cancer early, minimize the number of false positives, and lower the number of unnecessary biopsies," senior author Robert Getzenberg, PhD, from the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, Maryland, told reporters. "In addition, this is the first time we have a test that effectively distinguishes between men with cancer confined to the prostate and those whose disease has spread outside the gland."
Under a licensing agreement between Onconome Inc and the
The current study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and Onconome. The group, led by Eddy Leman, PhD, also at
- Men with normal PSA levels and no evidence of disease.
- Men with elevated PSA levels who had negative biopsies.
- Men with benign prostatic hypertrophy who did not receive biopsies for prostate cancer.
- Men with prostate cancer but with normal PSA levels.
- Men with prostate cancer confined to the prostate.
- Men with prostate cancer that had spread outside the gland at the time of surgery.
- A diverse group of patients with benign conditions of other organs as well as those with other cancer types.
The investigators report, "The results of our study have shown that EPCA-2 is a novel biomarker associated with prostate cancer that has high sensitivity and specificity and accurately differentiates between men with organ-confined and non–organ-confined disease." Dr. Getzenberg says larger clinical trials for EPCA-2 are planned that could make this test available in about 18 months.
Urology. 2007;69:714-720.