Apollo Hospitals study on prostate cancer reveals new screening standards for Indian men

Hyderabad: As per a study on prostate cancer care in India, PSA (prostate-specific antigen) values in Indian men differ from other demographics, especially men in western countries, leading to the establishment of new, tailored standards.

Key findings include age-specific PSA standards, a progressive increase in PSA levels with age, and Indian-specific PSA values facilitating earlier detection in younger men.

Apollo Hospitals has unveiled these findings in its latest study, ‘Determining age-specific prostate-specific antigen for healthy Indian men,’ published in the Indian Journal of Urology.

Led by Dr N Ragavan and Dr Sanjai Addla from Apollo Chennai and Apollo Hyderabad, respectively, the study involved nearly 1,00,000 healthy men across diverse age groups and regions in India, establishing new reference values for PSA specific to the Indian demographic.

What is a PSA?

PSA is a crucial blood marker for the early diagnosis and monitoring of treatment for prostate cancer. The international norms for normal PSA values, based on a 1993 study from the USA, have been adopted in India. However, these western standards often proved ill-suited for the diverse genetic demarcations of the Indian population.

Key findings from the Apollo study, published in the Indian Journal of Urology, include divergent PSA standards for different age groups, a progressive increase in PSA levels with age, and new Indian-specific PSA values aiding earlier prostate cancer detection in younger men. The study also prevents unnecessary investigations in older men, establishing a new reference range for patients in their 70s and 80s.

“This landmark study ushers a transformative moment in India’s prostate cancer care landscape, reflecting our commitment to conquering cancer. By adopting these tailored standards, Apollo Hospitals reaffirms its commitment to patient-centric care and sets the stage for a new paradigm in healthcare innovation,” said Dr Sangita Reddy, joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals.

Study involved 1 lakh men

Prof Sanjai Addla, consultant uro-oncologist at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad, highlighted, “Our study, the largest in India, re-evaluates the age-specific PSA reference ranges tailored for the Indian population. With data from 1 lakh healthy men, we aim to enhance the accuracy of serum PSA testing, providing hope for treatment in advanced stages. This study offers a significant opportunity to redefine age-specific PSA reference ranges for Indian men, enabling more precise clinical decision-making in combating prostate cancer effectively.”

Committed to patient-centric innovations, Apollo has acquired the latest bk5000 Ultrasound system, enabling state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities for prostate cancer detection. Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad has already changed reference values in line with the newly published data, with a phased adoption across the southern region and subsequently the rest of the hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres in the Apollo ecosystem.

In collaboration with the Society of Genitourinary Oncologists (SOGO), Apollo is working towards publishing a position paper to highlight the new reference PSA values for healthy Indian men, aiming for industry validation to encourage other healthcare providers to adopt these benchmarks.