Scientists have created a scanner that can quickly detect prostate cancer within 15 minutes so that people can skip rectal examinations.
The "Prostagram" treatment tested by doctors at Imperial College London uses MRI, which is similar to breast cancer screening for women, according to The Mirror.
Four hundred volunteers aged between 50 and 69 were tested using the standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and scanning method.
After the trial, scientists found "Prostagram" to be better at detecting aggressive cancers than the current PSA among the 4% of volunteers who needed treatment.
Imperial College London Professor Hashim Ahmed, who is the chairperson of Urology, said "Prostagram" can be the core of a new diagnosis for prostate cancer and become a "game-changer".
The "Prostagram" Treatment
According to The Sun report, as the scan detected twice as much aggressive prostate cancer than PSA, it shows the need to improve the research to find alternative ways to screen for prostate cancer.
Blood tests are known to identify too many slow-growing tumors, which can lead to over-treatment, impotence, and incontinence among men.
In contrast, MRI can ignore many "harmless" cancers while focusing on those that more deadly.
Hashim said that after finding these aggressive cancers at the earliest, men will have the opportunity to go through "less invasive treatments with fewer side effects."
Dr. David Eldred-Evans, also an Imperial College researcher, described the test as a "non-invasive, safe, and more acceptable way to test men for prostate cancer." The doctor said this may encourage more men to have a prostate health check, especially those who dismiss the idea of a rectal examination.
One of the volunteers who previously tested negative of cancer from PSA is now being treated after the MRI detected it.
According to Mark, a 61-year old volunteer, he already had some prostate issues seven years ago, but be advised that he has cancer was still a bit of a shock for him. After all, the PSA said he was fine.
He also said he would recommend the MRI scan to anyone who would need to get a diagnosis "because the PSA is useful, but it does have weaknesses."
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in British men, which affected T.V. star Stephen Fry and ex-BBC host Bill Turnbull. It is also the third deadliest in the United Kingdom.
The prostate is a walnut-size gland, which only men have. It is located around the urethra between the penis and the bladder. It is where a man urinates and ejaculates from, producing the fluid, which mixes with sperm to create semen.
However, like all body organs, cells in the gland can start to grow uncontrollably, leading to cancer. Most patients do not experience too many symptoms and live long. However, others have cancers that spread fast and become deadly.
About 50,000 men in the U.K. are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, while 12,000 dies of the disease. However, the Prostate Cancer U.K. warns that this number could surge to 15,000 per year by 2026. Also, one in eight men will acquire this cancer throughout their lifetime.
Some of the symptoms of prostate cancer include the need to urinate often, weak flow of urine, need to rush to the toilet, having difficulty or taking a long time to pee, and feeling that the bladder has not fully emptied. It is best to have a check-up if symptoms are apparent.
