Like with any test there are false positive results, and the blood test called PSA (short for Prostate Specific Antigen) has received some criticism as a result. Negative comments likening it to “Shooting flies with a bazooka” have been voiced, and yet, statistics on the mortality due to prostate cancer tell a different story.
In recent years the mortality rate in North America is down by 25%, and part of it is due to PSA. Currently there is no more effective testing in place, so the alternative is not attractive. It is like going back to the bad old times, where men where diagnosed only, once the prostate cancer was advanced, had formed metastases, and hopes for a cure were remote. There are promising new tests under development which at one point in time will replace the PSA, but for now it’s still the best test available. The only other way to find prostate cancer is by doing a biopsy.
PSA Screening For Prostate Cancer Not Obsolete
More info on prostate cancer prevention: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-prevention/
Reference: National Review Of Medicine, December 15, 2004, page 22
Last edited October 27, 2014
About Ray Schilling
