Stockholm3 reduces prostate cancer treatment costs and enhances diagnostic precision

June 26, 2024

A recent study published in European Urology Open Science demonstrates that incorporating Stockholm3 into prostate cancer diagnostics can significantly reduce healthcare costs. Stockholm3, which combines genetic-, protein- and clinical markers, also provides a more accurate risk stratification for developing significant prostate cancer compared to PSA testing alone.

The study highlights that using Stockholm3 as a reflex test at elevated PSA levels can lower prostate cancer care expenses by 8 percent compared to standard PSA-based practices (1). This cost analysis is based on data from more than 12,000 men who underwent prostate cancer diagnostics in Sweden (2), complemented with cost data from eight European countries to ensure broad applicability.

Key conclusions of the study:

• Cost Savings: Using Stockholm3 as a reflex test and PSA threshold of 1.5 ng/ml results in cost savings of EUR 358 (8%) per individual assessed, compared to PSA-MRI-based detection methods. This approach offers significant annual savings potential across European populations.

• Cost Drivers: The primary driver is the expenditure associated with metastatic cancers. If the cancer is detected as a localized cancer in the prostate, by using Stockholm3 as an adjunct test to PSA 1.5 ng/ml, the cost of treatment is significantly lower.

“Several studies have shown that Stockholm3 can detect prostate cancer earlier and help identify aggressive cases while still treatable, which is crucial for patient outcomes. This comprehensive cost assessment demonstrates that early detection and stage migration with Stockholm3 also lead to reduced overall healthcare costs. This is particularly important given the ageing population and the expected increase in prostate cancer incidence,” says Hari Vigneswaran, Chief Medical Officer at A3P Biomedical.

(1) McLeod, O.D., et al., Cost Analysis of Prostate Cancer Care Using a Biomarker-enhanced Diagnostic Strategy with Stockholm3. European Urology Open Science, 2024. 66: p. 26-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euros.2024.05.010
(2) Palsdottir, T. et al. The Capio Prostate Cancer Center Model for Prostate Cancer Diagnostics –Real-world Evidence from 2018 to 2022. Eur Urol Open Sci 61, 29-36 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euros.2024.01.012

About A3P Biomedical

A3P Biomedical is a company that specializes in advanced prostate cancer diagnostics. A3P’s main product, Stockholm3, is a clinically and commercially validated blood test for early detection and risk stratification of aggressive prostate cancer. A3P Biomedical is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. For more information, please visit www.a3p.com 

About Stockholm3

Stockholm3 is a blood-based test, that runs a combination of protein biomarkers, genetic biomarkers and clinical information through an algorithm to find the probability of clinically significant cancer at biopsy.

Stockholm3 has been evaluated in clinical studies including more than 90,000 men. It is extensively tested in large population-based screening trials, as well as in real world clinical utility studies in primary care, as a reflex test to PSA at values 1.5-20 ng/ml.  Benefits include the ability to reduce unnecessary MRIs, benign and Grade Group 1 prostate biopsies for men with elevated PSA, while simultaneously improving detection of clinically significant cancers in men with low or normal PSA values.  Using Stockholm3 leads to a more accurate risk assessment than the current PSA standard. Stockholm3 detects 40-90% more men with aggressive prostate cancer and, at the same time, reduces over-detection by 40-50% compared to PSA.

Multiple Stockholm3 studies have been published in high-impact journals such as The Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and European Urology. The studies address both the specificity and sensitivity of Stockholm3 in multi-ethnic populations as well as health-economic benefits of implementing it in clinical care. For more information about our clinical studies please visit www.a3p.com.

About prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. In 2020, the global incidence of new prostate cancer cases was 1.4 million, and prostate cancer specific mortality 370,000. Global prostate cancer incidence and mortality is expected to rise by 100% and 85% respectively by 2040, driven by an ageing population.

Press contact:
Cecilia Edström
cecilia.edstrom@a3p.com
+46 72 226 2328