While Asian men are statistically less likely to develop prostate cancer than Black, Caucasian, and Hispanic populations, the true prevalence of the disease is masked by underreporting caused by cultural taboos and limited access to innovative diagnostics, according to the study by Ko, et al. in Cancers.
Asia’s low prostate cancer incidence rate has historically been attributed to factors including genetics, lifestyle choices, and dietary habits. Yet this new study identifies the importance of cultural stigma in Asian communities around MRI scans, rectal examinations and biopsies that hinders early detection.
A next-generation blood test produced by British biotech firm Oxford Biodynamics, the EpiSwitch PSE allows men to avoid these invasive procedures, alleviating cultural pressures and reducing stigma and taboos.
The EpiSwitch PSE uses a blood sample to differentiate clinically significant prostate cancer from benign conditions, avoiding embarrassment and facilitating timely medical intervention for those at high risk. The British innovation is currently available in the UK, from private providers including Bupa and Goodbody, and the US from payers including Medicare.
The incidence of prostate cancer is projected to escalate in Asia due to Westernization of diets and aging male populations. The study states that this rising healthcare challenge can be addressed efficiently using advanced diagnostic tools to enhance early detection with precision.
As well as acknowledging cultural resistance to prostate biopsies, the study notes adverse side effects of this diagnostic method, such as rectal bleeding (45%, American Cancer Society), hematospermia (65.8%, Rosario et 197 al.), incontinence (6.7%, Medical School), and erectile dysfunction (33%, Priority Men’s).
It also points to the limitations of MRI for prostate cancer screening, and in particular its high rate of false positives: the accuracy rate for MRI in detecting prostate cancer can be as low as 49%, with a specificity of 41% and a false positive rate of 49%. EpiSwitch PSE is 94% accurate with a specificity rate of 97% and a false positive rate of just 7%.
EpiSwitch PSE reduces the false positive rate of the PSA test from 75% to 7%.
