Predicting Cancer

Most men panic when their PSA level rises after prostate surgery. Here's why they shouldn't

Here's a fun quiz for all you armchair oncologists. A 50-year-old man gets a blood test that measures his PSA (prostate-specific antigen)--a substance that is produced only by the prostate. His results edge just past normal, which probably means he has an enlarged prostate. No big deal. Or he could have prostate cancer. "This must be our unlucky day," says his wife, also 50, when he tells her. "I just found out that my mammogram is positive." Which spouse is more likely to have cancer?

If you chose the wife, guess again. In the U.S., about 30% of men who undergo...

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