Slightly off-topic: DRE's may become less common

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Hopes rise on prostate
September 30, 2004

THE dreaded annual prostate check-up may become a little more enjoyable for men, with scientists hopeful of developing an accurate test for prostate cancer using semen samples.

Queensland researchers have identified variations in the amount of certain proteins present in the semen of prostate cancer patients that may prove to be a reliable indicator of the disease, research co-ordinator Terry Walsh said yesterday.

Speaking at a biological sciences conference in Perth, Dr Walsh said initial tests on the complex mixture of proteins in the semen of both healthy men and those diagnosed with prostate cancer had revealed marked differences.

The ultimate aim is to identify the specific proteins associated with prostate cancer and develop a simple test to measure them.

"If we could identify ... proteins that we could incorporate into a simple test, I think men would be more comfortable rather than the prodding and poking that goes with it at the moment," Dr Walsh said.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with one in nine Australian males at risk of getting the disease