Cedars-Sinai Study Finds Prostate Cancer Patients Need Lower PSA Targets
A Cedars-Sinai study published in Cancer found that prostate cancer patients on hormone therapy should target PSA levels 10 times lower than current standard practice. The research analyzed 4,090 patients and found optimal survival linked to PSA levels below 0.2 nanograms per milliliter.
A new study from Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University suggests that prostate cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy should aim for PSA levels far lower than what is currently standard.
The research, published in the journal Cancer, analyzed 4,090 patients. It found that optimal survival outcomes are associated with PSA levels below 0.2 nanograms per milliliter. That target is 10 times lower than what is typically used in current clinical practice.
Researchers found that this lower target is more achievable when androgen receptor pathway inhibitors are added to standard hormone therapy. The combination approach appears to drive PSA levels down more effectively than hormone therapy alone.
PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by the prostate gland. Elevated levels can indicate cancer activity, and monitoring PSA during treatment helps doctors assess how well therapy is working.
The findings suggest that current treatment targets may be leaving room for cancer activity that could be further suppressed. Researchers say the results could prompt a reassessment of how oncologists set treatment goals for patients on hormone therapy.
The study adds to a growing body of research on treatment intensification in prostate cancer. Other recent work has shown that combining multiple therapies can significantly reduce the risk of disease progression and death in men with advanced disease.
