Nearly all men of a certain age have heard of the PSA blood test , including Prostate Cancer Screening. The PSA, or Prostate Specific Antigen, indicates levels of PSA in a patient blood. Higher levels increase the probability of prostate cancer but are not always a diagnostic of cancer. If the PSA Prostate Cancer Screening test shows a higher probability of prostate cancer, then usually a series of biopsies are taken of the prostate. If cancer is found, then some type of treatment is usually started. The treatments for limited to a small area or early prostate cancer , include surgery, radiotherapy (both internal and external), and ultrasound (in some parts of the world). The critical question in the whole Prostate Cancer screening ,is whether or not the Prostate Cancer screening saves lives. It is known that there are major side effects to treatment including erectile dysfunction, rectal problems,and sometime even death. Just lately, The US Preventative Services Task Force issued the latest recommendations concerning the PSA blood test. The Task Force recommended that Prostate Cancer screening is not recommended for men over age 75 as there is no proof that treating a prostate cancer at that age will increase life expectancy , and the side effects of treatment are significant. The Task Force also said that there is no conclusion about screening in men under 75. The task force recommendations are accessible on various websites and magazines. The main point of the discuss is that the significant side effects take place immediately whereas the possibility of increased life expectancy mainly prove to be of benefit to patients with long life expectancies. Many types of prostate cancers are extremely slow growing and patients often die of another reason. While more data is awaited , to judge the benefit of PSA Prostate Cancer screening in men under age 75, it is fair to say that the decision is a personal one that should be discussed with every patient. There are men over 75 who may be in great shape with longer life expectancies than 10 years who may choose that the PSA prostate cancer Screening test is potentially of benefit to them. As opposed to the recommendations of the Task Force, The American Cancer Society Guidelines say Prostate Cancer screening should be offered to men over 50 with a life expectancy of at least 10 years with a full explanation of the pros and cons. So, in the end you should discuss PSA prostate cancer screening with your doctor and see whether it makes benefit for you.
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