Men Say: Forget About Forgetting PSA Test
I guess for men, it's like mammography for us. The experts keep changing their minds how often -- or if -- we should have these tests. But despite fairly solid proof that prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests for prostate cancer are unnecessary, if not downright harmful, men still want them, according to a new study , as reported at newswise.com. The story notes that PSAs can be harmful because, if levels are above recommended numbers, doctors frequently do biopsies and other painful procedures that could possibly permanently harm patients who might not have needed them at all. New advice just out suggests certain men should not be screened routinely for prostate cancer (I once heard, if you live long enough, every man will get it, but few will die from it). The article pointed out that researchers found that, though 61% of the men surveyed agreed with the new PSA testing recommendation and 69% "were confident that the recommendation was based on the latest research, ...