Risks Incurred Through Early PSA Screening

Jacksonville – After screening for an elevated Prostate Specific Antigen, a recently released study which followed almost 77,000 American men for seven years, and almost 51,333 of those same men for 10 years, no reduction in Prostate Cancer death was found. This is contrary as to what the experts thought when the PSA test was developed in 1980. The theory at that time, was that early screening would result in a massive reduction in deaths caused from Prostate Cancer.

The risks of Prostate Cancer, and early detection, are not only a health issue in America, but also in Europe. The Europeans have recently provided the results of a 9-year study they conducted using the PSA screening. The Europeans tests concluded that the PSA screenings indeed were beneficial as they reported a 20% survival benefit in the men they followed over the 9-year study.

By use of the PSA screening, it can be determined if a protein known as Prostate Specific Antigen is elevated. The screening for this antigen is first detected through a blood test. This PSA test can help in determining the probability of having Prostate Cancer, but will not tell how aggressive, or slow growing the malignancy is. As recent studies have been released though, it is also possible that the protein elevation is being caused by other factors and in fact does not mean the patient has cancer. It is in these instances when early screening carries risks.

Although it is true that when tumors are detected at an early stage, they can be treated most effectively, it is also believed by most experts that the majority of these tumors grow so slowly, that they would never cause a patient to suffer from any symptoms at all during their lifetime.

When the treatment in most cases for Prostate Cancer includes surgery, radiation, and/or hormone therapy, and the immediate treatment from early screening causes risks such as incontinence, impotence, infection, diarrhea, and in rare cases even death, some experts are taking a watch and wait attitude.

When early screening causes risks such as these, and taking into consideration the recently released results of the 10 year American study, men who have an elevated PSA are being advised to seek a second opinion, research and discuss all the alternatives of treatment, if any, with your doctor, and don’t be scared into a treatment that may do you more harm than good.