Cancer Society Casts Doubt on Value of Prostate Cancer Test:
"New advice from the American Cancer Society puts a sharper focus on the risks of prostate cancer screening, emphasizing that annual testing can lead to unnecessary biopsies and treatments that do more harm than good.
The cancer society has not recommended routine screening for most men since the mid-1990s, and that is not changing. But its new advice goes farther to warn of the limitations of the PSA blood test that millions of American men get now. It also says digital rectal exams should be an option rather than part of a standard screening."
I've heard rumors about this for years.
Being "well over fifty" PSA tests have been a routine part of my doctor visits, just like blood pressure tests, temperature, and the venerable weigh-in. No matter what the reason was for my doctors visit, be it flu, back pain, bee stings, or an ingrown toe nail, there it was the old PSA test.
I've always felt that it had more to do with revenue generating than it did my health. The fact that doctors still routinely perform the tests, even though the they were not recommended since the mid-1990's, bears out my suspicions.
Revenue generation through the use of blood tests, and more recently CAT Scans, by doctors and hospitals is a pet peeve of mine and will be the topic of a future post.
So read the article and make your own decisions about PSA screening.
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