Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Sweden, with about 10,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Despite advancements in diagnostics and treatments, managing prostate cancer remains challenging due to its often silent progression and the complexities surrounding early detection. The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, while widely used, has limitations in distinguishing between aggressive and indolent cancers and benign conditions, leading to potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
In his thesis , Lars Björnebo, MD and Ph.D. student at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, investigated and compared new tools for prostate cancer detection, such as MRI-based diagnostics and the Stockholm3 test, potentially offering hope for more accurate diagnoses.
However, ensuring access to these innovations and balancing timely intervention with avoiding unnecessary treatments remains a critical challenge in improving patient outcomes. What are the most important results in your thesis? We confirmed that incorporating MRI in active surveillance protocols is justified since it is significantly associated with adverse pathology after having undergone surgery to remove prostate cancer. We also found that long-term use of 5-ARIs, drugs used for benign prostate enlargement, is safe concerning the risk of prostate cancer and may reduce the risk of dying from prostate cancer.
Comparing MRI with the Stockholm3 test showed that both meth.