Prostate cancer screening with Stockholm3 reduces unnecessary biopsies and is cost-effective
March 19, 2021
STOCKHOLM, March 19, 2021. A3P Biomedical announced today that an independent and peer reviewed study showed health economic benefits using Stockholm3 versus PSA in a screening by invitation setting for prostate cancer. The results from the study demonstrated that Stockholm3 reduced unnecessary biopsies and was cost-effective compared to screening with the currently used PSA test.
In previous peer-reviewed studies, e.g. the pivotal STHLM3 study on 58,000 men published in Lancet Oncology, the Stockholm3 test demonstrated significant health benefits compared to PSA (current standard of care) including a 50 percent reduction of unnecessary biopsies (1). Other studies as has shown that Stockholm3 simultaneously leads to improved sensitivity for early detection of aggressive prostate cancer (1).
A recent independent and peer reviewed study now also concluded that, in addition to reducing unnecessary biopsies, there would be health economic benefits using Stockholm3 versus PSA in a screening by invitation setting for prostate cancer.
The main outcome of the study (The cost effectiveness of prostate cancer screening using the Stockholm3 test; Karlsson et al, Plos One, Feb 2020) is that prostate cancer screening every four years using the Stockholm3 test for men with an initial PSA ≥ 2.0 ng/mL was cost effective and reduced unnecessary biopsies compared with screening using the PSA test alone. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for Stockholm3 vs PSA was €5,663/QALY, which is considered a low cost to improve Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALY).
The study used data from the Stockholm PSA and Biopsy Register and the Stockholm3 test characteristics from the STHLM3 study (1).
“Independent studies have previously shown medical as well as health economic benefits using Stockholm3 in a clinical setting. This is the first study demonstrating the benefits in a screening by invitation scenario for the general population. The results are clear: Stockholm3 is cost-effective, provides significant medical advantages and reduces harm for the individual.” Martin Steinberg, CEO of A3P Biomedical.
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