![]() ![]() What he meant was that most older men would eventually have some prostate pathology. One physician we regularly interviewed on our radio show insisted that most men would die with prostate cancer not from prostate cancer. If there was even a minimal amount of prostate cancer that could lead to what was called unnecessary treatments such as surgery or radiation. If the PSA test revealed an elevated number, it would almost inevitably lead to further tests. A government task force, discouraged routine screening a few years ago, saying that the PSA test was not very specific for prostate cancer and could lead to over treatment. Men were told that a PSA test was probably inappropriate for many middle-aged guys. Then the pendulum started to swing in the other direction. In some respects the PSA test seemed to parallel the recommendation women received to get a mammogram to detect breast cancer. If the family physician ordered a PSA test along with a cholesterol check, few men argued. In fact, the decision was often left up to a man’s primary care provider. A decade or two ago, many were regularly urged to get a blood test for prostate specific antigen aka a PSA test. Middle-aged men have been getting conflicting messages about prostate cancer screening. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |