Prostate cancer screening test is overused for older men, experts say

Overuse of the PSA test can lead to painful and unnecessary biopsies as well as over-diagnosis and over-treatmentAdult American men aged between 55 and 69 should balance the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening carefully before getting tested, the United States Preventive Task Force (USPTF) has recommended. Men older than 70 should not receive routine tests.The recommendation, published in theJournal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday, specifically addresses a blood test called the prostate specific-antigen test, or PSA. The changed guidelines were first published about a year ago.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Prostate cancer Health Cancer research Medical research Science Society Source Type: news