Importance of biomarker discovery in men’s cancer diagnosis and prognosis
Each year around 10,000 men in the UK die as a result of prostate cancer (PCa) making it the 3rd most common
cancer behind lung and breast cancer; worldwide more than 670,000 men are diagnosed every year with the
disease [1]. Current methods of diagnosis of PCa mainly rely on the detection of elevated prostate-specific
antigen (PSA) levels in serum and/or physical examination by a doctor for the detection of an abnormal prostate.
PSA is a glycoprotein produced almost exclusively by the epithelial cells of the prostate gland [2]. Its role is not
fully understood, although it is known that it forms part of the ejaculate and its function is to solubilise the sperm
to give them the mobility to swim. Raised PSA levels in serum are thought to be due to both an increased
production of PSA from the proliferated prostate cells, and a diminished architecture of affected cells, allowing an
easier distribution of PSA into the wider circulatory system
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