Prostate Cancer Testing.....Necessary?

Many men and their doctors won't find clear answers in new guidance that a widely used screening test for prostate cancer isn't necessary - and may be doing more harm than good.

A draft recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential panel of independent experts, found that the PSA blood test doesn't save lives overall when used as a routine screening test.

The official release is this week, but already the report is stirring ripples around the Tampa Bay area and across the nation.

The guidance, based on a review of scientific studies in the United States and abroad, marks the strongest statement yet against PSA testing, which long has been debated. But for men who are regularly tested, it could create as much confusion and controversy as the same task force's 2009 recommendation that most women in their 40s shouldn't get routine mammograms.

For the full story: http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/article1195978.ece

Ted Allrich