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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : April 14, 2014 12:29 PM IST
Scientists have revealed that prostate cancer tests, which predict how aggressive a tumour is, underestimate the severity of the disease in half of the cases. In the study of 847 men with prostate cancer, 209 out of the 415 who were initially told their cancer was slow-growing, were found to have a more aggressive form of the disease, the BBC reported. (Read: Do you know these 5 simple ways to prevent prostate cancer?)
And for almost a third of the 415 men, it had spread beyond the prostate. Scientists are calling for better tests to define the nature of the cancer. For this study, scientists at the University of Cambridge graded the men's cancer before and after they had surgery, between 2007 and 2011. (Read: Risk of prostate cancer may be reduced by daily brisk walks)
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Study author Greg Shaw, a urological surgeon at the University of Cambridge, said there were a 'surprising' number of men who were not diagnosed appropriately the first time around. (Read: Prostate cancer tips to help you lower your level of risk)
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer forms in tissues of the prostate (a gland in the male reproductive system) and is one of the leading causes of cancer in men above the age of 60. Most cases could be slow growing and may even go undetected and not cause any problem. Some could be aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body and are difficult to treat. It usually presents with difficulty and pain during urination, blood in the urine along with sexual dysfunction. Advanced cases may present with bone pain in addition to the urinary symptoms. Prostate cancer is very rare before the age of 40 but the risk increases with age and most cases are detected in the late 60s. (Read: Prostate cancer what you ought to know)
With inputs from ANI
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