Medical News Summary: Overweight men risk having their prostate cancer misdiagnosed

About: Overweight men risk having their prostate cancer misdiagnosed
Date: 24 January 2005
Source: Forbes – HealthDay
Author: Serena Gordon
Medical News Summary (summary of medical news story as reported by Forbes – HealthDay): A study published in Cancer found that a relationship existed body mass index and prostate specific antigen level. High BMI was associated with a lower PSA level and thus obesity was related to lower PSA levels. It is believed that obesity reduces the level of testosterone which in turn reduces the level of PSA. High PSA levels are indicative of prostate cancer and thus obesity may mask the presence of the cancer through artificially low PSA. This supports findings in other studies that claim that overweight men had a higher risk of death from prostate cancer. Diagnosis of prostate cancer can be done through PSA tests or digital rectal exams. However, PSA tests have been under intense scrutiny recently over claims that it fails to diagnose many cancers. A researcher believes that prostate cancer screening should be undertaken by all at risk groups ie people who are older, black or have a family history of the disease
URL: http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/01/24/hscout523560.html
Related Disease Topics: Prostate cancer, Obesity, Overweight
Related Symptom Topics: High PSA level

Related Medical News Channels: This medical news summary article refers to the following medical channel categories:

Cancer
death from prostate cancer
death from cancer
Diagnosis
Diagnosis and prostate cancer
Diagnosis and cancer
Diagnosis and obesity
Diagnosis and overweight
Diet
Diagnosis and high PSA level
risk and prostate cancer
risk and cancer
risk and obesity
risk and overweight
Risk and high PSA level
Research
research and prostate cancer
research and cancer
research and obesity
research and overweight
Research and high PSA level

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