A blood test for prostate cancer should be modified to detect the disease better in black men, says a new study in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers also propose changes to decrease the number of prostate cancers among blacks that will escape diagnosis, catching more cases in their early, curable stages. The study, which is the first to look at the level of a protein known as prostate specific antigen in the blood of black men, found that the levels tend to be higher and vary more broadly among black populations. Usually, men are tested beginning at age 50 and a psa reading of 3.5 is considered normal. But research suggests that black men should be tested starting at age 40 and that an appropriate psa is 2.
Black men develop prostate cancer at a rate one-third higher than whites.
About 4,000 men at Walter Reed Army Medical Center were studied for four years. Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you.