Authored by: George M. Pikler, M.D., Ph.D., FACP
A new blood test for prostate cancer seems to be more accurate than the existing test. The widely used prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is not particularly precise, so leads to unnecessary biopsies. The researchers’ Prostate Screening EpiSwitch test, which combines PSA and epigenetic testing, was shown to be 94% accurate in a pilot study of 147 patients. The PSE test can be utilized for both diagnostic and screening purposes, minimizing unnecessary referrals for expensive and invasive MRI and/or biopsy testing. Further prospective larger scale studies of the new PSE test in a population screening cohort with low cancer prevalence would be an immediate next step in confirming and expanding PSE test utility.
Pchejetski, D. et al. Cancers 2023, 29 January; 15(3), 821
Authored by:
George M.Pikler, M.D., Ph.D., FACP
Lead Oncology Advocate N1X10
Dr. Pikler graduated summa cum laude from the Central University of Ecuador School of Medicine in 1968. His postdoctoral training included an internship in internal medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, a residency in internal medicine and a doctoral degree in molecular medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The American Cancer Society awarded him a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at M.D. Anderson & Tumor Institute in Houston, TX.
With training certifications in internal medicine and oncology, Dr. Pikler and his family moved to Tulsa, OK where he established and was the President of Cancer Specialists, Inc, a boutique oncology-hematology clinical research private practice. In addition, he was the chief of the oncology at Hillcrest Medical Center, a teaching hospital for 20 years and associate professor of medicine, oncology-hematology at the University of Oklahoma, Tulsa Medical College. He was one of the founders of the Southern Association of Oncology Practices and subsequently the National Medical Director for the International Oncology Network, AmerisourceBergen’s Oncology Division.