Prostate Cancer | SelectMDx Testing | Lifelabs

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced within the prostate gland. PSA is mostly found in semen, but small amounts can also be found in the blood of healthy men. PSA levels naturally increase as men age because the prostate naturally enlarges over time. There are many reasons why PSA levels fluctuate, and higher levels may indicate the presence of prostate cancer or other prostate conditions (inflammation).

 

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to affect Canadian men. 

Typically slow-growing, prostate cancer can be present for many years before causing symptoms. Receiving news that you have an elevated PSA may be alarming, but it does not necessarily mean you require a biopsy or aggressive treatment. SelectMDx can help your physician determine whether you would benefit from a biopsy or simply require ongoing screening (active surveillance).

SelectMDx is a urine test that measures two cancer-related genetic biomarkers, HOXC6 and DLX1. Combined with other clinical factors like total PSA and age, the test produces a likelihood score of discovering clinically significant disease (defined as Gleason Score equal to or more than 7 [3+4 and 4+3]). 

This provides your urologist with another important piece of information to consider when recommending whether a biopsy is required and potentially avoid unnecessary procedures. The test has a very high negative predictive value, meaning that a low likelihood result is correct in the vast majority of men (Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 98% for clinically significant cancer).

SelectMDx is recommended if a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test result has revealed PSA levels increased to between 4 – 10 ng/ml and/or you have had an abnormal digital rectal exam.

Process of Testing: SelectMDx is a two-part process for urine sample collection. First, your physician must conduct a prostatic message (via a digital rectal exam; DRE) to slough off cells from your prostate. Following this, you must provide a urine sample that is generally collected in your urologist’s office and delivered the same day to a LifeLabs Patient Service Centre along with a requisition completed by your physician.

Test results will be provided directly to your healthcare provider by Lifelabs for discussion with you. The report will indicate the likelihood of prostate cancer (and clinically significant disease) upon biopsy.