Prostate Cancer Screening: A Lower PSA Score

Prostate cancer screening is a preventative measure that all men are advised to do regularly beginning in their thirties with increasing frequency as they years go by. The cancer itself is a slow growing tumor and thus if you find it early on you’ve got a lot of time to figure out what to do about it. Often the prescription for treating prostate cancer is a ‘wait-and-see-what-happens’ approach from your doctor or at least a variety of cancer - prostate treatment options for you to complete at home while you wait. For those however who have not yet found any cancer and are in the process of getting their PSA scores checked on a regular basis an interesting observation has been found and noted academically in the journal Cancer.

Aspirin and Low PSA Scores

The study published in Cancer reviewed 1,319 men and found that those men who were taking daily aspirin for their hearts actually had “consistently lower” PSA levels. "While researchers aren’t sure if pain relievers lower the risk for prostate cancer or just skew the test, previous research has linked high doses of daily aspirin (1,000 to 3,000 milligrams) with false results in thyroid and glucose tests."

The testing for PSA scores, or Prostate-Specific Antigen scores, works by testing the blood for these Prostate-Specific Antigens which enter the blood after semen that has congealed after ejaculation is turned back into liquid. The PSA (the enzyme used to break down the congealment) is natural but it is often elevated in the case of a swollen prostate which may be why anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen may skew the test. If the prostate is treated with anti-inflammatories than maybe the lower PSA scores are accurate… but then again maybe they simply decrease the quantity enzyme found in the blood but not the presence of slow growing tumors. If this is the case then you might be surprised by cancer even with a lower PSA score.

Definitely more research needs to be done in this area but this certainly should be a point that aspirin takers should keep in mind when talking to their doctors about their routine prostate caner screenings. Of course there are other ways to lower your chances of developing prostate cancer. Eat your fruits and veggies regularly and especially have some cauliflower or broccoli at least once a week; your odds can be cut in half.

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