Will Your Prostate Cancer Recur?

If you are a prostate cancer suvivor, your number one question mostly likely is “will my prostate cancer come back?” I’m a 12-year prostate cancer survivor and I ask myself that question almost every day.

cancer_cell_tY8OjYMedical science is working hard on developing ways to tell the difference between aggressive and non-aggresive prostate cancer.

We aren’t there yet, but the Decipher® test discussed below is a good start. [Note: According to the developer, the test is covered by Medicare and many private insurance plans.}

Image by MichianaSTEM via Flickr

The Decipher® Prostate Cancer Classifier is a highly validated and commercially available genomic test for men with intermediate and high risk prostate cancer. Decipher predicts cancer aggressiveness by looking for a unique genomic signature comprised of a validated series of biomarkers associated with metastatic disease. Adding truly unique information to the treatment decision-making process, Decipher generates a risk result that is completely independent and distinct from PSA, Gleason score and other clinical risk factors. Clinical studies from leading cancer centers published in over a dozen medical journals demonstrate that Decipher can accurately predict metastatic disease, which men may benefit from radiation therapy following prostate surgery, and can lead to significant cost-savings for healthcare systems. Decipher was developed in partnership with the Mayo Clinic.

Learn more at: www.DecipherTest.com. You can follow Decipher on Twitter @DecipherTest and on Facebook.

Next steps …

1 – If you are planning to have surgery, talk with your doctor and make certain you will have access to tissue samples for the test.

2 – Check with your insurance company to see if the test is covered.

3 – It’s important to personally track your PSA score to quickly see any rise. The ProstateTracker tool gives you a visual picture of your PSA test history. Activate your free prostate cancer early warning account at http://prostatetracker.org so you can track your PSA test values and have early warning of recurrence.

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