Loeb S, Metter EJ, Kan D, Roehl KA, Catalona WJ.
“Prostate-specific antigen velocity (PSAV) risk count improves the specificity of screening for clinically significant prostate cancer.”
BJU International. 2012 Feb;109(4):508-13. PMID: 22296334
Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22296334
Sustained rises in PSA indicate a significantly greater risk of prostate cancer, particularly high-grade disease. Men with 2 successive PSA velocity measurements >0.4 ng/ml/year (a “risk count” of 2) have an 8-fold increased risk of prostate cancer and 5.4-fold increased risk of Gleason 8-10 disease on biopsy compared to those with ≤1 serial PSAV exceeding 0.4 (risk count 0-1), adjusting for age and PSA level. Compared to PSA alone, PSA velocity risk count may reduce unnecessary biopsies and overdiagnosis of low-risk prostate cancer