Prostate cancer mass screenings may have an insignificant impact on survival rates for men and risks over-diagnosis and over-treatment, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.
In the study led by University of Florida urologist Philipp Dahm, the chances of survival for the men who were screened—whether through a rectal exam or a blood test for prostate-specific antigens (PSA)—were only marginally better than for the men who were not screened.
“Our findings suggest that the expected impact [of the screenings] in absolute terms would be modest at best,” the paper stated, according to AFP.
In addition, the review warned against the potential for over-diagnosing and over-treating patients who took a PSA test. The test can confuse benign tumors for more harmful ones, which risks unnecessary surgeries.
More than 30,000 men in the United States die from prostate cancer each year, out of approximately 215,000 cases. Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States.
In the study led by University of Florida urologist Philipp Dahm, the chances of survival for the men who were screened—whether through a rectal exam or a blood test for prostate-specific antigens (PSA)—were only marginally better than for the men who were not screened.
“Our findings suggest that the expected impact [of the screenings] in absolute terms would be modest at best,” the paper stated, according to AFP.
In addition, the review warned against the potential for over-diagnosing and over-treating patients who took a PSA test. The test can confuse benign tumors for more harmful ones, which risks unnecessary surgeries.
More than 30,000 men in the United States die from prostate cancer each year, out of approximately 215,000 cases. Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States.
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