Revised guidelines for Prostate Cancer screening
Program Note: Don't miss Anderson's conversation with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about the revised guidelines tonight. AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.
The American Cancer Society
In revised guidelines made publicly available today, the American Cancer Society said that most men 50 and older should seriously consider the potential risks of treatment before deciding whether to be screened for prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer screening consists of the prostate specific antigen, or PSA, blood test or a digital rectal examination.
While these tests can detect cancer, they also can produce false positive results that lead to unnecessary and uncomfortable biopsies and treatments that carry undesirable side effects such as impotence and urinary incontinence.
On the other hand, tests that appear normal can overlook existing cancers.
The guidelines place greater emphasis on individual counseling by doctors. Meanwhile, the American Urological Association says all men should have baseline PSA test at 40.
|
|
Filed under: Health Care • What You Will Be Talking About Today |
About this Show:
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
Subscribe to the podcast
On Twitter
Search the AC360 blog
My last PSA test was 7.2. Yet, I have no symptoms normally associated with prostate problems. That tells me the test is not very reliable.
I had a psa that rose from 1.9 to 3.9 over a few years. Biopsy showed T2 cancer cells with gleason score of 6 . A prostate cancer in Sarasota, Fl. recommended aggressive treatmentment using radiation and seeding followed by another round of radiation. Four weeks after seeding I began to develop severe pain while urinating . Eight weeks later and still suffering from the same urinating pain, I went back for my final round of radiation. My concerns were ignored and they proceeded with the radiation. After that my pain got worse and continues 4 at same level and I incontinent
my dads cancer was never detected by the lab tests, now the cancer is in his kidney and bladder