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Biosafe® Prostate (PSA) Home

Screening Test™

Background Information:

            Prostate cancer is the second most leading cause of cancer death found in men in the United States.  The incidence increase with age and about 80% of the men over age 65 is diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Prostate is a gland in a man’s reproductive system, which makes and stores seminal fluid (milky fluid that nourishes sperm).  A normal size of a prostate is about the size of a walnut that is located below the bladder and surrounds the top portion of the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder.  The seminal fluid (semen) is then released through the penis during ejaculation. 

            The cause of prostate cancer is still unknown.  However, researchers have found some risk factors that cause prostate cancer and are trying to learn how these factors cause prostate cells to become cancerous.  The following risk factors are:

RISK FACTORS
  • Age
  • Family history of prostate cancer
  • Race (more common in African American men, less common in Asian & American Indian)
  • Diet & dietary factors (fatty foods & red meat)
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Vasectomy (research still in progress in the link)

The problem prostate cancer is not easily detected because it often doesn’t produce any symptoms in its early stages.  However, if there are difficulties in urinating or erectile dysfunction (impotence) that lasts longer than 2 months, consult a doctor immediately.  When symptoms do occur, it will be the following:

POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS
  • A need to urinate frequently, especially at night
  • Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine
  • Inability to urinate
  • Weak or interrupted flow of urine (dribbling)
  • Painful or burning urination
  • Difficulty in having an erection
  • Painful ejaculation
  • Blood in urine or semen
  • Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
  • A sensation that your bladder isn’t empty
  • Loss of appetite and weight
  • Persistent bone pain

           

If prostate cancer is detected early, there is a better chance of successful treatment and prevention of cancer spreading to other places.  There are two common tests physicians use to screen and detect prostate cancer, even if there are no present symptoms.  The tests are Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test.  For the DRE test the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate through the rectal wall to check for hard or lumpy areas.  This exam is limited in its ability to detect prostate cancer, or distinguish a cancer from something else.  For the PSA test, the laboratory measures the levels of PSA enzyme in a blood sample.  The level of PSA may rise in men who have prostate cancer, BPH, or infection in the prostate.  The PSA test is limited in its ability to distinguish between a benign and cancerous tumor and other conditions, such as prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate). 

 

According to the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association (AUA) recommendation, an annual DRE and PSA blood test should be done beginning at age 50.  However, people with higher risk of prostate cancer (e.g. African American or family history) may want to do the two annual tests earlier at age 40 and consult with their physician for advice on more frequent testing.  Annual PSA testing can be an important aid in the early detection of prostate cancer.  This is the reason why there is a FDA approved test, Prostate Screen TestÔ made by Biosafe, available to use at home or at the office for the sake of privacy and convenience.  The test measures a chemical substance produced by the prostate gland called prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood sample.  The BIOSAFE Prostate Screen test provides you with an accurate and inexpensive way to discover your own PSA level.

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