Dr. Robert Nam

Dr. Robert Nam is zeroing
in on early detection
of prostate cancer

Dr. Robert Nam is zeroing in on early detection of prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian men.

The Canadian Cancer Society researcher has developed a promising new tool called a “nomogram” that could help doctors accurately diagnose prostate cancer at an earlier stage, when it can be most easily and successfully treated.

Currently, the usual method of prostate cancer screening or early detection is a blood test that measures PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) levels. While this antigen is normally found in small quantities in the blood, prostate problems such as cancer can cause PSA levels to rise.

However, studies have shown that the PSA test is not very accurate in the diagnosis of early prostate cancers. PSA levels also vary according to age, tend to rise gradually in men over 60 and can be elevated by prostate problems other than cancer.

To help clear up the confusion, Dr. Nam’s nomogram tool combines factors such as age, family history, ethnicity and prostate size with the standard PSA test. He believes that together, the information from these two tests will be a more powerful and accurate predictor of a man’s risk for prostate cancer, even at an early stage.

With his new Society funding, Dr. Nam is now confirming the accuracy of the nomogram in a large-scale study. The tool will be tested across Canada on 5,000 men with elevated PSA levels and compared to the results from another 1,000 men with normal PSA levels. The test predictions for each man will then be confirmed by prostate biopsies.

If successful, his research could help thousands of men each year.

“This research will help accurately identify men who are at risk for serious prostate cancer while ensuring men who aren’t at risk avoid unnecessary biopsies and anxieties,” says Dr. Nam, a researcher and urologic oncologist at the University of Toronto.“This could have a large impact on the future of prostate cancer screening programs in Canada.”

This is Dr. Nam’s first grant from the Canadian Cancer Society.

About prostate cancer

In 2006, an estimated 20,700 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. An estimated 4,200 will die of the disease.

There is no single cause of prostate cancer, but some factors appear to increase the risk of developing it:

age – particularly after 65 (uncommon in men under 50)
family history of prostate cancer
African ancestry
diet high in fat
the effects of inactivity, inherited genes, working with cadmium and exposure to dioxin are being studied

Reducing your risk of cancer involves making healthy lifestyle choices and being proactive about screening and early detection. It is important for you to know your body, report any changes and discuss with your doctor the screening tools that best suit you.

More information on prostate cancer

Last modified on: 04 February 2011