Prostate cancer is the most common tumor disease in men in Switzerland. Around 1,400 patients die from it every year.
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If you would like to learn more about the Stockholm3 test or have it performed, please contact your GP. Your doctor will advise you in detail and initiate the next step.
In Switzerland, more than 7,100 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Early detection of malignant prostate disease is therefore particularly important.
Early detection plays a crucial role in the fight against prostate cancer. To date, the PSA value and the digital rectal examination (DRE) are the basis for prostate cancer screening. However, both methods have their limitations and are the subject of scientific controversy. PSA is an organ marker and not a tumor marker, and screening using PSA is therefore rightly controversial.
• The PSA test has been used to date for the early detection of prostate cancer. However, the isolated determination of PSA is limited because PSA is a prostate-specific organ marker and not a tumor-specific marker.
• Many highly aggressive prostate carcinomas do not increase the PSA value at all.
• Elevated PSA levels can lead to overdiagnosis, as PSA cannot distinguish between benign diseases and carcinomas of the prostate.
• Diagnostic prostate biopsies are invasive. Therefore, the suspected diagnosis should be made precisely, because unnecessary biopsies shift the balance between benefit for diagnosis and risk towards unwanted side effects.
Stockholm3 combines PSA with three other protein markers, a number of genetic markers and clinical information. This allows the test to calculate risk more accurately than PSA alone. The results are personalized based on a documented medical history and enable an individual risk assessment.
This approach better identifies people who are at high risk but still have a low PSA level. This allows further clarification to be carried out at an early stage and a delayed diagnosis to be avoided. Stockholm3 offers better differentiation of elevated PSA levels.
The results are evaluated using a specially developed algorithm and include a recommendation for action that makes it easier to determine the next diagnostic steps.
Stockholm3 combines protein markers (free and total PSA, PSP94, GDF15 and KLK2) with a number of genetic markers as well as clinical data (age, family history of prostate cancer, previous biopsies, use of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors) in one algorithm.
The Stockholm3 test involves measuring a number of genetic markers, the so-called single nucleotide polymorphisms, whose variations, according to the underlying studies, change the risk of prostate cancer. Other genes or gene segments are not determined.
The results of the protein markers total PSA, free PSA, PSP94, GDF15 and KLK2 are included in the evaluation and thus improve the risk assessment of whether prostate cancer is present.
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Clinical information is also taken into account when calculating the Stockholm3 risk score, including:
• Age
• Family history: father, brother or son with prostate cancer
• Whether or not a previous biopsy has taken place
• Taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors
Stockholm3 leads to a better understanding of the individual risk of prostate cancer and thus reduces uncertainty among patients.
The Stockholm3 test shows the probability of having aggressive prostate cancer in a risk score. The result includes a percentage for the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason Score ≥3+4=7 / ISUP ≥2).
High risk:
Further clarification by a urologist.
Low or normal risk:
Repeat the test in 2 to 6 years.
Stockholm3 is approved for men aged 45–74 years who have not yet been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The general recommendations for prostate cancer screening still apply:
• Men aged 50 and over, or 45 and over if there is a positive family history.
• The upper age limit is generally 75 years. It can also be useful for older patients, provided they are biologically younger.
• Life expectancy of at least 10 years
• No previous diagnosis of prostate cancer
PSA < 1,5 ng/ml: Stockholm3 will not be carried out
PSA 1,5 – 20 ng/ml: Conducting the Stockholm3 test
PSA > 20 ng/ml: Further clarification by a urologist
The risk of prostate cancer is very low if the PSA level is below 1.5 ng/ml. A PSA level of more than 20 ng/ml usually requires further investigation.
Stockholm3 is suitable for men aged 45 to 74 years who have not yet been diagnosed with prostate cancer and have a PSA level above 1.5 ng/ml.
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Stockholm3 does not require any special preparation such as fasting. The test can be performed at any time of the day.
The cost of the Stockholm3 test is CHF 664.20, a mandatory service.
As a rule, the health insurance company covers the costs of the test.
However, it is possible that the health insurance company refuses to cover the costs as part of the basic insurance and/or any supplementary insurance. In this case, the patient must cover the costs themselves.
You should expect a maximum waiting time of 10 days from the time your blood sample was taken for the test.
Stockholm3 was developed by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden's leading medical university, and validated in clinical trials with data from more than 90,000 men. Stockholm3 was also studied in Swiss men in a study.
The Stockholm3 test calculates your individual risk of prostate cancer. The test gives your doctor a clear recommendation on how to proceed.
If your risk is low or normal, it is recommended that you repeat the test within two to six years. If your risk is increased, it is recommended that you consult a urologist.
If the cancer is detected at an early stage, it can be treated and cured in the vast majority of cases. Since symptoms generally only appear late, early detection tests are advisable in order to detect an aggressive tumor in good time. Stockholm3 also detects dangerous variants very early, thereby significantly increasing the chances of successfully treating or curing the cancer.
