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Doctors told woman she was too young for a colonoscopy. Then she was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer

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Doctors told woman she was too young for a colonoscopy. Then she was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer

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When Brooks Bell was 38, doctors told her she was too young to have colon cancer, dismissing her textbook symptoms as “likely hemorrhoids.”

A few months later, after pushing for tests, the North Carolina-based entrepreneur was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer.

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Bell, now 43, is encouraging other younger adults to listen to their bodies and advocate for their health, particularly as colon cancer cases are rising among people under 50.

COLORECTAL CANCER IS NOW LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG YOUNG ADULTS WITH CANCER: NEW REPORT

The founder of a digital analytics company, Bell was traveling for a technology conference five years ago when she found blood in her stool.

“I called a doctor from my hotel room and explained what was going on, and she said that blood in the stool is very common,” Bell told Fox News Digital. “She said it was almost definitely a hemorrhoid and that I should just watch it, and that it would likely go away in a couple of days.”

Brooks Bell of North Carolina is pictured after chemotherapy at right. After her treatment and recovery, she was voted onto the Board of Directors of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. (Brooks Bell)

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It didn’t go away, and a few weeks later, Bell made an appointment with a different doctor.

“She checked me out and didn’t find a hemorrhoid, but said that was probably still what it was because of my young age,” she said.

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Bell was hoping the doctor would refer her to a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy, but she didn’t.

“At that point, I didn’t really trust where this was going, because it was still bleeding after two months,” she said. “And so I called a gastroenterologist myself.”

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Four days later, during the colonoscopy, the doctors found a tumor in Bell’s colon that was causing the bleeding.

“They told me they’d be in touch, but that it was almost certainly cancerous.”

Bell is pictured during a chemotherapy treatment. She received three months of intense chemo following her surgery. (Brooks Bell)

Bell’s cancer was Stage III, which she said was actually good news.

“It was still a small tumor and I had about an 87% chance of survival,” she said.

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Bell immediately had surgery to remove 10 inches of her colon. Following that was three months of high-dose chemotherapy that was 50% more intense than most regimens.

CANCER RISK COULD INCREASE WITH CONSUMPTION OF CERTAIN FOODS AND DRINKS, STUDY FINDS

After treatment, there was the waiting game to make sure the disease didn’t recur.

“The first year was terrifying — I had lots of nightmares,” Bell shared. “Colon cancer has the highest rate of coming back in the first year, and then it drops off after that.”

Today, five years later, Bell is cancer-free.

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Understanding risk factors

Dr. Austin Chiang, gastroenterologist and chief medical officer of Endoscopy at Medtronic, a medical equipment manufacturer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of rising colon cancer rates in young people, but he has noticed a few contributing factors. 

Related to diet, there’s been an increase in consumption of red meat and ultra-processed foods,” he told Fox News Digital. 

Brooks Bell speaks with guests at the first-ever Colonoscopy Gala at the Contemporary Art Museum in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, on Feb. 28, 2020.  (Eamon Queeney for the Colonoscopy Gala)

“We’ve also seen an association with rising rates of obesity. The trouble is, even if this trend is related to either of those things, what we don’t yet understand is the mechanism behind it.”

To reduce risk, Chiang said his team often recommends limiting the consumption of red meat and alcohol, as well as not smoking, which is known as a big risk factor for cancer. 

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“Remaining physically active is also a good rule of thumb, but beyond that, there are no other known means to reliably reduce cancer risk,” he added.

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After hearing that exercise reduces the risk of cancer coming back, Bell committed to working out every day.

“I decided I was going to exercise harder than I ever exercised in my life,” she said. “The day I finished my treatment, I was out with my running shoes.”

She even decided to train for a triathlon — finishing the event exactly one year after finishing her cancer treatment.

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Brooks Bell is pictured after completing her first triathlon, one year after her final chemotherapy treatment. (Brooks Bell)

Nutrition has also been a bigger focus for Bell since her cancer treatment — particularly since colon cancer is so closely linked to gut health. 

“I eat as many vegetables as I can, and I really focus on my fiber intake,” she said. “A plant-based diet helps with your microbiome health, so that’s my main focus.”

In 2024, an estimated 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.

Bell occasionally eats dairy and some lean meats, but avoids red meat. 

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She also sees a functional doctor — a physician that focuses on identifying and eliminating the issues that cause disease as opposed to treating and reacting to symptoms — who helps ensure that she gets the right amount of supplements and antioxidants.

Colon cancer screening guidelines

Since 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended that adults ages 45 to 75 get screened for colorectal cancer.

Prior to 2021, the guidance was to get screened starting at 50.

THESE 8 HEALTH SCREENINGS SHOULD BE ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR 2024, ACCORDING TO DOCTORS

“That change was a huge win,” said Bell. “I think we should be grateful for that — they don’t move guidelines very often. There was overwhelming evidence to get it to 45.”

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There are some indications that screening should start at 40, Bell said — “so that would be the next goal.”

Dr. Austin Chiang, gastroenterologist and chief medical officer of Endoscopy at Medtronic, a medical equipment manufacturer in Philadelphia, said it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of rising colon cancer rates in young people. (Dr. Austin Chiang)

“The reason it’s not at 40 is the cost and limited availability of colonoscopies — it would put more strain on the system,” she said.

Beyond the rectal bleeding that Bell experienced, other colon cancer symptoms include changes in bowel habits, abdominal discomfort, weakness or fatigue, a feeling of the bowel not completely emptying, and unexplained weight loss, according to Mayo Clinic.

Barriers to care

One of the main barriers in terms of young people getting early screening and care is lack of awareness of the risk, Bell said.

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“It wasn’t that my doctors were bad — it’s just that they didn’t know this was a risk,” she told Fox News Digital. “They just don’t think they’re staring down a cancer diagnosis when someone is so young.”

There is a tendency to associate colorectal cancer with older age. 

“For primary care doctors, I think they’re supposed to kind of rule out everything else before sending you in for a big-ticket item like a colonoscopy.”

Chiang agreed that there is a tendency to associate colorectal cancer with older age

“Because current screening guidelines recommend colonoscopies starting at age 45 for people of average risk, we’re less accustomed to seeing younger patients showing symptoms of colon cancer,” he told Fox News Digital. 

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Brooks Bell (far right, back) moderates a discussion at the White House as part of its Cancer Moonshot initiative. (Brooks Bell)

“What makes it even more difficult is that patients with early-onset cases often experience different symptoms, so there’s still learning to be done as we become more aware and cognizant of the risk.”

Many people don’t know they need to be screened starting at age 45, Chiang pointed out — “which is why it’s important to have a primary care doctor who can help keep track of that for you.”

There’s also a common misconception that colonoscopies are dangerous or uncomfortable, he added, which may create some fear. 

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“Finally, there are social determinants that create barriers as well, like physical proximity to health care centers or inability to take a day off from work to be screened,” the doctor said.

There’s a common misconception that non-invasive, stool-based tests are equivalent to getting a colonoscopy, Chiang warned, but there are some limitations associated with that method. 

“If you have a positive stool test, you aren’t able to locate where that result is coming from, and more importantly, you’re not able to remove it on the spot,” he said. “With a colonoscopy, doctors can do both of those things.”

Other than skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country. (iStock)

Colonoscopies also allow doctors to detect lesions early before they turn into cancer — “especially with the help of AI technology, like our GI Genius tool,” Chiang noted. 

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“Our hope is that tech like this will help to standardize patient care, so that everyone who comes in for a colonoscopy has the best detection rate possible.”

Committed to the cause

After her diagnosis, Bell immersed herself in studying as much as she could about the disease.

“It was alarming to learn how preventable it is, and how underfunded it is, and how it’s rising in young people, and the importance of colonoscopies,” she said.

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Intent on raising awareness, Bell joined the Board of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a nonprofit focused on colon cancer prevention.

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In 2022, Bell founded the nonprofit Lead From Behind as a subsidiary of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. 

“The goal was to create a fresh brand focused on staying healthy and positioning colon cancer as the preventable cancer — and to help destigmatize colonoscopies.”

Brooks Bell is pictured after undergoing surgery to remove a section of her colon after her cancer diagnosis. (Brooks Bell)

Lead From Behind has drawn a handful of prominent voices to the cause, including pro football player Dak Prescott and actor Ryan Reynolds.

Bell has also spoken at the White House as part of its Cancer Moonshot initiative, which aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over the next five years.

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She is also hard at work on a new initiative focused on raising funds for colonoscopies for underinsured individuals.

“I want to try to continue to shift our culture to make colonoscopies and colon cancer prevention part of our conversations about wellness — so it’s just something that healthy, smart people do automatically as as they get into their 40s,” she said.

In 2024, an estimated 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Other than skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country.

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America’s lifespan has doubled since 1776 — experts reveal what changed

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America’s lifespan has doubled since 1776 — experts reveal what changed

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Americans today live roughly twice as long, on average, as they did when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

When the nation was founded in 1776, life expectancy was around 35 to 40 years old, historians estimate. However, someone who survived childhood in colonial America often lived into their 60s or even 70s.

Today, the average lifespan is about 79 years old, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FILTERED WATER AT SPECIFIC AGES COULD ADD MONTHS TO YOUR LIFESPAN DECADES LATER, NEW STUDY FINDS

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The improvement in lifespan over the centuries has been largely attributed to reduced deaths in infancy and from infectious diseases, multiple researchers have stated. Advances in sanitation, clean water, nutrition, vaccination and medical care have also contributed to lower mortality rates.

“Much of this vast discrepancy is related to the extremely high rates of infant, childhood and maternal mortality,” Dr. Omer Awan, physician and professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.

Americans today live roughly twice as long, on average, as they did when the Declaration of Independence was signed. (Milan Markovic/iStock)

“Childbirth was dangerous, and without antibiotics and vaccines, many infectious diseases, such as measles, smallpox and pneumonia, were deadly,” he went on. “Now we have cleaner water and sanitation, vaccines and antibiotics that have significantly prolonged life.”

Advances in treatments of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes have also significantly prolonged life, the Harvard-trained doctor noted.

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According to the CDC, improved prevention and treatment of high blood pressure has helped reduce deaths from heart disease and stroke, two of the nation’s leading causes of death.

Mia Kazanjian, MD, a Stanford-trained body and breast radiologist with an interest in longevity who is based in Greenwich, Connecticut, attributes the shorter life expectancy in the 1700s to suboptimal sanitation, poor hygiene and limited medical treatments.

Today, the average lifespan is about 79 years old, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (iStock)

“Many babies and children died from infections like dysentery, diphtheria, scarlet fever and pneumonia,” she told Fox News Digital. Children who survived into adulthood often succumbed to infections like tuberculosis, cholera and typhoid fever.

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Maternal mortality has also fallen dramatically over the past century due to advances in antibiotics, blood transfusions and safer obstetric care, according to the CDC.

Milestones in public health

Kazanjian pointed to several key advancements over the centuries that contributed to longevity improvements, including the development of early municipal water systems that provided cleaner drinking sources.

“Sewer system networks were built, the first in Brooklyn in 1857,” she said. “These allowed people to drink clean water and dispose of waste. Indoor plumbing with toilets and bathrooms became more widespread.”

“Without antibiotics and vaccines, many infectious diseases, such as measles, smallpox and pneumonia, were deadly.”

At this time, people’s understanding of disease started to improve, and public health measures were developed to minimize risk.

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During the late 1800s, germ theory became widely accepted in medicine and public health, helping shape the Sanitary Era, the expert said.

COULD ‘HUMANMAXXING’ ACTUALLY HELP YOU LIVE LONGER? HERE’S WHAT EXPERTS SAY

“The Federal Quarantine Act of 1878 allowed the government to prevent spread of infection from out of the country, from epidemics like yellow fever,” she said. “Food safety regulations went into effect in 1906, when the Pure Food and Drug Act and Federal Meat Inspection Act were passed.”

By 1900, the average life expectancy was about 49 years old, according to the National Vitals Statistics Report.

Another major landmark in increasing lifespan came with the development of vaccines and antibiotics to prevent and treat disease, Kazanjian noted.

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One major landmark in increasing lifespan came with the development of vaccines and antibiotics to prevent and treat disease, experts say. (iStock)

“Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine in 1796, Pasteur created vaccines for rabies and anthrax in the 1880s, and several scientists created vaccines for polio, measles, influenza, mumps and rubella in the mid 1900s,” she said.

“Antibiotics proliferated in the 1940s, specifically penicillin and tetracycline. By 1950, the US life expectancy was about 68 years old.”

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From the mid-20th century to 2014, life expectancy continued to rise, Kazanjian said, largely due to “major gains” in medical knowledge of ways to prevent heart disease and stroke.

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Public health campaigns promoting smoking cessation also played a role, as declining smoking rates helped reduce deaths from lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, according to the CDC.

“Motor vehicles became safer and carseats became staples,” Kazanjian noted.

Modern longevity is more focused on preventing chronic disease and less about surviving childhood infections. (iStock)

According to the National Institutes of Health, advances in emergency medical services and trauma care have substantially reduced deaths after serious injuries.

Development of pharmaceuticals for cardiovascular disease and cancer also contributed to longer lives, according to Kazanjian.

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Today’s longevity challenges

Modern longevity is more focused on preventing chronic disease and less about surviving childhood infections, noted Nneoma Oparaji, MD, a triple board-certified media physician specializing in obesity, lifestyle and internal medicine.

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“The next frontier will be less about living longer, but more about living healthier longer,” Houston-based Oparaji told Fox News Digital.

Kazanjian pointed out that between 2014 and 2026, there has been a fall and a rise in lifespan.

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“The fall was due to young adult deaths from drug overdoses, particularly the opioid epidemic, suicides and alcohol-related deaths,” she told Fox News Digital.

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced U.S. life expectancy by more than two years between 2019 and 2021 before it began recovering, CDC data shows.

Advances in sanitation, clean water, nutrition, vaccination and medical care have contributed to lower mortality rates. (iStock)

Although U.S. life expectancy has rebounded since the pandemic, it remains below that of other high-income countries, largely because of higher death rates from chronic diseases, substance use and other preventable causes, according to KFF.

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Obesity rates also continue to climb, contributing to higher numbers of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, Kazanjian said.

“Most concerning is the rise in obesity in children,” she added.

“The next frontier will be less about living longer, but more about living healthier longer.”

Changing cancer trends are also affecting lifespan among younger adults, data shows.

“My generation, the millennials, has seen an unprecedented rise in young adult cancers, particularly colon and breast,” Kazanjian said, citing factors that include sedentary lifestyles, poor diet, alcohol, obesity and smoking, among others.

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The doctor said she aims to raise public health awareness of ways to improve lifespan.

“We need to get off our screens, move around more, eat a whole food, plant-based diet, sleep seven hours a night, do our screening exams, and avoid toxins like alcohol and cigarettes.”

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Could ‘humanmaxxing’ actually help you live longer? Here’s what experts say

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Could ‘humanmaxxing’ actually help you live longer? Here’s what experts say

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We are officially living in the “maxxing” era.

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From “looksmaxxing” to improve appearance to “sleepmaxxing” for better rest, these viral terms all point to the same goal: squeezing every ounce of potential out of a specific trait or habit.

With a growing focus on optimizing wellness and maximizing longevity, the trend has evolved into what’s known as “humanmaxxing,” sparking a bigger question: How far can people go to optimize the human body?

ANTI-AGING BENEFITS LINKED TO ONE SURPRISING HEALTH HABIT

While there is no single definition of humanmaxxing, the trend generally refers to efforts to optimize health, performance and longevity through a combination of lifestyle habits, health tracking, supplements and, in some cases, more experimental interventions.

While there is no single definition of humanmaxxing, the trend generally refers to efforts to optimize health, performance and longevity through a combination of lifestyle habits, health tracking, supplements and, in some cases, more experimental interventions. (iStock)

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For some, the movement begins with biohacking. According to Dave Asprey, a Texas-based wellness expert who refers to himself as the “father of biohacking,” optimizing your body starts with changing your environment.

Asprey has defined biohacking as “the art and science of changing the environment around you or inside you so that you have full control of your own biology.”

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His public advice focuses on boosting cellular energy through everyday choices like intermittent fasting, high-fat diets, red-light therapy and supplement routines.

“My goal right now is 180 years, because I’m doing something about it now instead of waiting,” he once said.

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Clinical experts warn that extreme self-experimentation skips the rigorous safety checks that typical medical science requires. (iStock)

Others have embraced a more data-driven approach. Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, creator of the multimillion-dollar longevity project Blueprint in Los Angeles, argues that optimizing the body means removing human error from health decisions and instead relying on medical data.

“Methodically, we sought to build an algorithm with science and data that could better care for me than I can myself,” Johnson wrote on his website. “My mind did not have the authority to override the algorithm.”

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Johnson’s routine involves tracking hundreds of health metrics, eating a precisely measured diet, taking dozens of supplements, and undergoing advanced medical treatments in an effort to reduce his biological age.

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At the far end of the spectrum are those investing in technologies aimed at pushing the limits of human performance.

London-based tech investor Christian Angermayer recently described humanmaxxing as a strategy toward human maximization.

Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, creator of the multimillion-dollar longevity project Blueprint, argues that optimizing the body means removing human error from health decisions and instead relying on medical data. (iStock)

“I don’t think we should become something different, because I think humans are awesome, but I think we can maximize the potential [that] is already in us,” he said in an interview with The New York Times.

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Angermayer’s investment firm, Apeiron Investment Group, focuses on technologies intended to help people “live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.” He also founded atai Life Sciences, a biotechnology company that develops psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.

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As interest in humanmaxxing grows, mainstream health experts urge consumers to separate evidence-based wellness practices from experimental interventions.

Public guidance from the National Institute on Aging notes that while some anti-aging therapies have shown promise in laboratory research, there is not yet sufficient evidence that they can safely extend human life.

As interest in humanmaxxing grows, mainstream health experts urge consumers to separate evidence-based wellness practices from experimental interventions. (iStock)

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Clinical experts also caution that extreme self-experimentation can bypass the rigorous safety standards applied to conventional medical treatments.

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According to the Endocrine Society, taking substances such as testosterone or growth hormone without a medical need can lead to serious health risks, including cardiovascular complications and long-term disruption of the body’s chemical balance.

While many humanmaxxing habits overlap with standard healthy lifestyle practices, experts say consumers should be cautious of expensive or experimental interventions that promise dramatic anti-aging or longevity benefits without strong scientific evidence.

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New blood test detects 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases, beating current screenings

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New blood test detects 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases, beating current screenings

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A new test could make it easier to detect high-risk prostate cancer cases earlier.

The blood test, called Stockholm3, is showing promise in clinical trials, beating out the traditional, standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

In a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied the test’s efficacy in more than 12,000 men — mostly Swedish or European — aged 50 to 74.

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All participants were tested with PSA and Stockholm3 and were followed for two years. During the follow-up period, 443 men were diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.

Stockholm3 detected 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases compared to 74% for PSA tests.

Stockholm3 detected 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases compared to 74% for PSA tests. (iStock)

Stockholm3 missed “significantly fewer” serious cancer cases than PSA. The number of men incorrectly classified as high-risk was similar across both tests, according to a press release.

Thorgerdur Palsdottir, a researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, wrote in a statement that one of the major challenges in prostate cancer is being able to identify the cases that are “truly dangerous.”

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“Our results show that Stockholm3 identifies significantly more aggressive cancer cases than PSA without increasing the number of unnecessary follow-ups,” she said.

“These results point toward a potential change in how prostate cancer screening can be conducted,” the researcher added. “A more precise blood test could enable earlier detection of aggressive disease while reducing the number of unnecessary follow-up examinations and procedures.”

“A more precise blood test could enable earlier detection of aggressive disease while reducing the number of unnecessary follow-up examinations and procedures,” a researcher commented. (iStock)

Study co-author Hari Vigneswaran, chief medical officer of Stockholm3-maker A3P Biomedical, commented on these “promising” findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.

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He confirmed that the PSA has been the standard for prostate cancer screening since the 1990s despite its “well-documented limitations.”

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“It leads to invasive and costly follow-up testing, contributes to over-diagnosis of non-aggressive cancers and, most importantly, it misses a substantial share of aggressive disease,” Vigneswaran said.

When aggressive prostate cancer is found while still confined in the prostate, the five-year survival is close to 100%. (iStock)

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When aggressive prostate cancer is found while still confined in the prostate, the five-year survival rate is close to 100%, which highlights the importance of early detection, according to the doctor.

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Data from the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database show that metastatic prostate cancer has risen over the past decade, suggesting that “we have not improved early detection of the aggressive, curable disease that screening is meant to catch,” Vigneswaran said.

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“The goal of screening is to find the cancers that need treatment while they are still curable, without raising the number of men who screen positive but don’t have aggressive disease,” he said.

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Stockholm3 could reduce the need for unnecessary MRIs and biopsies, according to the researcher. (Getty Images)

Stockholm3 could reduce the need for unnecessary MRIs and biopsies, according to the researcher.

The findings did have some limitations. Stockholm3 is an investigational device and is not available for sale in the U.S., Vigneswaran noted.

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The test estimates a man’s risk of aggressive prostate cancer, but a biopsy remains the gold standard for confirming the disease.

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The company plans to seek FDA approval to use the test for routine screening and will “generate the evidence needed to support that pathway, including U.S. data,” Vigneswaran said.

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