Page 6 - JacksonHospital

IT’S A QUESTION many men have: Should I be screened for prostate cancer?

There’s never been a simple answer to that question, and some conficting results from two major studies may have confused men about the benefts of using the prostate-specifc antigen (PSA) test for screening. If you’re one of those men, you should know this: The PSA test is still a viable option if you want to be screened for prostate cancer—but only after you have carefully weighed the pros and cons of the test with your doctor, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The ACS strongly advises men to learn as much as they can about prostate cancer and the PSA test before deciding whether to be screened.That’s because fnding and treating prostate cancer early isn’t always a clear-cut choice, as it can be with some other can-cers, said Durado Brooks, MD, director of prostate and colorectal cancers for the ACS.

Here’s why: Not all prostate cancers are aggressive. In fact, many are so slow-growing that they never become a serious threat to a man’s health or affect how long he lives, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The problem with screening is that it may lead to treating some of these slow-growing cancers that, if left alone, might never pose a problem. And treatment for prostate cancer is not without risk—it can have signifcant urinary tract and sexual side effects. “I recommend that men above the age of 40 are counseled by their doctors regarding screening, diagnosis and possible treat-ment options of prostate cancer,” said Brian Richardson, MD, a urologist with the Jackson Clinic. “Certainly, men with higher risk should be aware that although there are more indolent or slow-growing forms of prostate cancer, it remains the No. 2 cause of cancer-related death in men.”

Prostate cancer death rates have fallen since PSA testing be-came common, though for reasons that are still unclear. According to Dr. Richardson, highly publicized research tri-als from both the United States and Europe raised the question whether PSA screening actually reduces the risk of dying from prostate cancer. After further analysis of these study results,

“Men should educate themselves as much as possible about the benefts and limitations of prostate screening,” said Durado Brooks, MD, director of prostate and colorectal cancers for the American Cancer Society. “They should also take into account their family health history and their personal health status and weigh all of their information to make a decision that feels right for them.”

Dr. Richardson believes there is clear evidence that early detec-tion and treatment of prostate cancer does save lives.

“If men talk with their primary care provider or urologist, light can be shed on the risks and benefts of screening for pros-tate cancer,” said Richardson. “It could be a conversation that eventually saves their life.”