Proof is in the Pudding....

bdhilton
bdhilton Member Posts: 847 Member
in Prostate Cancer #1
Happy Father's Day to all...

I am sure we have beaten this to "death" but "on May 21st, the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued its final recommendation against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer with a “D” grade for “do not recommend.” The conclusion that “few, if any” men, benefit as a result of prostate cancer screening—in the words of the Task Force—has been a point of contention with experts weighing in on both sides of the debate. However, the single best word I have seen to sum up the issue was provided by one of our own PCF Board members, Peter Grauer, in a recent e-mail exchange—the word is “reckless.”

The USPSTF report has caused more confusion than clarity about PSA screening—here are the facts:

Experts such as Patrick Walsh have said that the USPSTF did men a great disservice by overplaying the threat and side effects of overtreatment and underplaying the benefits of early diagnosis; the USPSTF also discounted a reputable European study that argues in favor of PSA screening
The PSA test is imperfect but not flawed—it is not a cancer specific test, but one step in the diagnostic process; it remains a very useful tool for caring for men with prostate cancer
According to Lancet Oncology, the prestigious medical journal, compared to a country where PSA screening is less common, 92 percent of American men with prostate cancer survive for at least five years, compared to 51 percent of Britons
The discussion needs to separate diagnosis from treatment"

Full Article-

http://www.pcf.org/site/c.leJRIROrEpH/b.8103309/k.CB0D/PSA_Better_Patient_Education.htm?utm_source=advances&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=june-advances

Comments

  • Samsungtech1
    Samsungtech1 Member Posts: 351
    #2
    PSA
    Bd,

    I believe most of us here onthis board have stressed the need for PSA tests to our children. Once a year when most men go for their annual check up they need to insure they check PSA. My PSA does not work properly, but it is still the best indicator of trouble. It does not make sense to me that any medical agency would suggest dropping the test.

    Hopefully saner heads will prevail.

    Mike
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,641 Member
    #3
    Samsungtech1 said:

    PSA
    Bd,

    I believe most of us here onthis board have stressed the need for PSA tests to our children. Once a year when most men go for their annual check up they need to insure they check PSA. My PSA does not work properly, but it is still the best indicator of trouble. It does not make sense to me that any medical agency would suggest dropping the test.

    Hopefully saner heads will prevail.

    Mike

    We need better ways to diagnose cancer
    I cannot see any problem with PSA, but the test is not complete in a diagnosis of cancer.
    Hopefully the debate on its screening benefits raises the awareness and leads scientists to investigate in newer better biological ways of diagnosing cancer. Biopsies in PCa will become obsolete and the PSA would serve just as a marker of treatment success.

    VG

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