Prostate Cancer Screening Not For Men Over 75: Panel

Citing a shorter life expectancy and higher rates of false-positive results, men 75 and above, should not be screened for prostate cancerdefinedefine as the potential side effects of the testing outweighs the potential benefit that the patient may derive from the treatment, an independent panel of experts recommended.

While, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the panel which made the recommendations, in its 2002 report concluded there exists “insufficient” evidence to say whether regular screening should be recommended across all ages.

However, upon continuous reviewing through the years, the task force yesterday confirmed that treating men over the age of 75 did not improve survival.

Meanwhile, the guidelines issued are only recommendations and men should make a decision based on their individual risk factors and personal preference, the panel said.

Basing its recommendations on evidence, the task force said, "Most prostate cancerdefinedefine grows very slowly, and many men with prostate cancer die of something else before the prostate cancer causes a problem."

"Early detection, however, puts men at risk for unnecessary worry and side effects of treatments, including impotence, incontinence and bowel problems," the panel emphasized.

Damaging the patient both physically and psychologically, the prostate-specific antigen test, impacts the patient seriously.

Moreover, the following treatment affects the quality of life for men involved, with side effects that include incontinence, impotence, weight gain, hot flashes and osteoporosis.

The test also debunks a high rate of false positives, leading to unnecessary biopsies, and psychological pain of carrying an infection, the task force said.

Highlighting the issue, Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and chairman of the task force, said "We could not find adequate proof that early detection leads to fewer men dying of the disease."

"At this point, we recommend that men ..... make a decision based on their individual risk factors and personal preference," he added.

The new guidelines from the Preventive Services Task Force are published in this month's Annals of Internal Medicine.

The second-leading cancer killer among men, after lung cancer, prostate cancer adds nearly 218,000 new cases with over 28000 deaths in the United States each year, the American Cancer Society estimates.