Health

PSA Testing: Prostate Cancer Cases Rising as Screening Declines

American Cancer Society study reinforces link between routine PSA testing and catching early-stage disease

Prostate Exam
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Cases of advanced prostate cancer have increased among American men ages 50 and older, while cases of early-stage disease have declined, a study published Wednesday found, according to NBC News.

The study looked at cases diagnosed between 2005 and 2016, during which time federal guidelines began recommending against prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, screening for prostate cancer detection because of concerns that the overall benefits of the once routinely recommended blood test did not outweigh the risks.

The prostate cancer trends observed in the new study “likely” resulted from the recommendations against screening, leading to undetected cases that advanced, lead author Ahmedin Jemal, scientific vice president for surveillance and health services research at the American Cancer Society, speculated.

Each year in the United States, there are about 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer and 33,000 deaths. Thankfully, most cases are slow-growing and not life-threatening. Many cases can take a decade or more to show symptoms, if at all, and may never be fatal.

Read the full story at NBC News.com.

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