Song Lab Examines Prostate Specific Antigen Levels in Prostate Cancer Patients
Results conclude prostate specific antigen does not play a direct role in causing prostate cancer but can be a secondary marker.

Xiangtan, Hunan, August 3, 2017:   Incidence of prostate cancer is on the rise, according to 2014 World Cancer Report there were 1.1 million cases diagnosed just in the year. With both environmental and genetic factors playing a role in these rising levels, medical researchers have been looking for markers of the disease. By finding a marker, medical researchers can diagnose prostate cancer earlier and treat it. The Song Lab based out of the 3D Urology and Prostate Clinic has become a world leader in both research and treatment of prostate cancer with its 3D Prostate Treatment. Today the Song Lab has released its findings on prostate specific antigen protein, this protein has been linked in the past as a marker for prostate cancer, however, the Song Lab’s research shows that it should only be considered a secondary marker for prostate cancer.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is protein found it in the prostate fluid, specifically the semen. PSA is about 340,000 base pairs long making it a very large and easy to detect substance when tested under various electrophoresis methods. PSA is produced in the prostate epithelial cells and is added to the seminal fluid to decrease its viscosity, without it males would become infertile. In healthy patients, PSA is only found in the seminal and other prostate fluid, not the blood thanks to the prostate envelope layer. When an individual is ridden with cancer the tumor will often destroy the prostate envelope layer and the PSA produced in the epithelial cells will enter into the blood. This has often been looked at as a marker for prostate cancer.

The Song lab conducted a study monitoring patients at different stages of prostate cancer, when looking at their PSA blood serum levels the lab found that stage 1-2 patients had normal PSA levels in the blood (under 4.0ng/mL) whereas patients in stages 3-4 had high levels of PSA in their blood serum. These results show that as the tumor starts to grow it damages the prostate envelope, allowing PSA to flow into the blood.

The Song Lab has concluded that PSA levels are not an ideal primary marker for prostate cancer and will have no use in diagnosing cancer in early stage patients. It can still be used as a secondary marker in later stage patients to help confirm the disease is present.  More research needs to be done to find the cause of prostate cancer and the Song Lab will continue looking at other factors.