UroToday - "False-Positive" Prostate Cancer Screenings Assessed
"Men can discuss the pros and cons of getting a PSA test with their
doctors. However, once a man decides to go ahead and get a PSA test, if
its results are abnormal, he typically should have ongoing follow-up and
surveillance for prostate cancer," Katz said.
Katz said that a strength of the UI study was that it did not rely on
volunteers. "Volunteers who sign up for a prostate cancer screening
study represent a different type of population than that comprised by
the individuals in our study, who were patients seen in the usual course
of care," he said.
However, Katz noted, a limitation of the study is that the researchers
were not able to obtain baseline data on how the men originally felt
about their health prior to screening. In addition, the study focused
primarily on Caucasian men.
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This is an interesting study, but I think it needs further investigation prior to making any definitive conclusions.
I think that a man who has a low PSA may have a better sexual outlook than a man who is offered screening and refuses. You would have to also follow the consequence of bringing up PSA screening with patients and look if just the discussion of prostate cancer is a detriment since it is usually picked up prior to there being any symptoms.
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