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Friday, October 07, 2011

No Prostate Test: 'Throwing Baby Out With Bath Water'

An influential panel's recommendation against routine prostate cancer screening in healthy men has prompted worries the move will increase cancer deaths.

he U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the same group that recommended doctors scale back on mammograms for women, is thinking of recommending against use of the prostate-specific antigen or PSA test.

The task force, an independent panel appointed by the federal government, plans to give a common blood test known as the PSA test a rating of "D," suggesting there is moderate or high certainty that the test has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits. The draft report was obtained by The Cancer Letter newsletter and is scheduled to be published Tuesday.

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome to Obamacare. We will only diagnose you when you are fully into the disease so far that treatment is futile! LOOK HOW MUCH WE SAVED!

lmclain said...

The less we have to spend on treatment, the more will will "save"! OR "if we don't know there's a problem then we don't have to spend money testing!". OR, with obamacare, your screwed. And once you HAVE been diagnosed, you then have to go through the approval for treatment process, so they don't spend money needlessly treating a disease that they let go too far because the testing "wasn't necessary". I'll bet Congress and the president get any test, any time they want.

Anonymous said...

This is a very valid screening test, as is the mammogram. It is a disgrace to diminish the value of either test. The sooner cancer is detected, the better the chances of recovery. This is a very expensive disease and to defer diagnosis until later is ridiculous!

Anonymous said...

No one said to "defer diagnosis". There are other tests! This one just isn't worth it, according to the evidence.

Anonymous said...

11:38
BS, the evidence can be and is manipulated to suit whatever is the desired outcome.
Both tests detect cancer early! Key in successful treatment.
These are the precursor to the "death panels" in the health care reform bills.