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Doctor Referral Service: 888-522-5585
• Health Scene
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It’s a question
many men have: Should
I be screened for prostate cancer?
There’s never been a simple answer
to that question, and some conflicting
results from two major studies may have
confused men about the benefits of using
the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for
screening.
If you’re one of those men, you should
know this: The PSA test is still a viable
option if you want to be screened for
prostate cancer—but only after you have
carefully weighed the pros and cons of the
test with your doctor, according to the
American Cancer Society (ACS).
What to consider
The ACS strongly advises men to learn as
much as they can about prostate cancer
and the PSA test before deciding whether
to be screened. That’s because finding and
treating prostate cancer early isn’t always
a clear-cut choice, as it can be with some
other cancers, says Durado Brooks, MD,
director of prostate and colorectal can-
cers for the ACS.
Here’s why: Not all prostate cancers
are aggressive. In fact, many are so slow-
growing that they never become a serious
threat to a man’s health or affect how long
he lives, reports the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
The problem with screening is that it
may lead to treating some of these slow-
growing cancers that, if left alone, might
never pose a problem. And treatment for
prostate cancer is not without risk—it can
have significant urinary tract and sexual
side effects.
Yet prostate cancer
is the second lead-
ing cause of cancer
deaths in American
men. (Lung cancer is
No. 1.) And prostate
cancer death rates
have fallen since
PSA testing became
common, though for
reasons that are still
unclear.
“There’s conflicting evidence [about the
value of screening],” Dr. Brooks says. “Some
men may very well avoid death and disabil-
ity from prostate cancer by being screened
and having their cancer found early. But
other men are going to have cancer found
early and be treated when that cancer
would never have caused them any harm
during the course of their life.”
It’s your choice
Deciding whether to be screened is a per-
sonal decision, and one you need to make
in conversation with your doctor.
The ACS recommends that men start
having discussions with their doctor
about screening at:
➜
➜
Age 50 for men at average risk of pros-
tate cancer.
➜
➜
Age 45 for men at high risk of the dis-
ease—African Americans or those with a
father, brother or son who was diagnosed
with prostate cancer before age 65.
➜
➜
Age 40 for men at very high risk due to
family history—those with multiple fam-
ily members affected by the disease before
age 65.
Prostate cancer
Should you have
a PSA test?
Check with
your doctor
to see if you
should be
screened. To
find a doctor,
call our Doctor
Referral
Service at
888-522-5585.