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- Maryland PSA testing bill fails to advance
A Maryland state bill (SB 78) that would have imposed new standards on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing failed to advance after opposition from the College of American Pathologists, urology groups, and the Maryland State Medical Association.
SB 78 would have mandated:
FDA-approved PSA testing assays.
Calibration to World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
Reporting in nanograms per milliliter.
Disclosure of test methodology, manufacturer, and lot number to ordering physicians.
The impact: The CAP opposed SB 78 citing concerns that the bill would have created new administrative burdens for laboratories without improving patient care.
The bil's detailed reporting and documentation rules would have added operational complexity for labs.
Pathologists warned the requirements could slow testing workflows and create obstacles for timely PSA results.
What we're saying: In a Feb. 9 letter opposing the legislation to Maryland Sen. Arthur Carr Ellis, CAP President Qihui "Jim" Zhai, MD, FCAP, said:
"Overall, the proposed legislation (SB 78) includes highly prescriptive and onerous administrative requirements that are unlikely to meaningfully address the inherent limitations of PSA as a prostate cancer biomarker. Instead, it would compel an unnecessary administrative burden, operational complexity, and potential barriers to patient care."