Many
men 50 and older are bobbing and weaving their way through the PSA
debate that started a couple of years ago. The prostate-specific
antigen test is widely used to screen men for prostate cancer, but a
number of studies have raised questions about the value of the PSA
test. And last year, the US Preventive Services Task Force spoke out
against PSA screening for all men, sending shockwaves through the
medical community.
It
also confused the heck out of many men, especially prostate cancer
patients, since early detection has become the front line of defense
against most cancers.
But
early detection, some researchers argue, has led to over-treatment of
prostate cancer. And many men may be having unnecessary surgery to
remove their prostate. The surgery, now performed robotically, is
frequently to blame for some serious problems: bladder incontinence
and erectile dysfunction due to nerve damage.
But
a University of Rochester Medical Center study
recently
published in the journal Cancer says the PSA test may be preventing
up to 17,000 deaths in men a year. Early detection of the cancer
before it has spread outside of the prostate gland is critically
important to survival. If the PSA test is not given, the URMC study
says we can expect to see a jump in the number of men who have
advanced prostate cancer by the time they’re diagnosed.
The
URMC’s Dr. Edward Messing, the co-author of the study and chair of
urology, says that once prostate cancer has spread, it is difficult
to treat. And men with metastasis at diagnosis will likely die from
the disease.
Prostate
cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the US. According
to the URMC, more than 240,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2012,
and about 28,000 men will die from the disease.
The
URMC study is one of many that have recently weighed in on the value
of the PSA for prostate cancer screening. And more are likely to
come, which leaves many men wondering what to do.
My
doctor strongly supports using the PSA. What is your doctor telling
you?
This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2012.
