(04-05-13) Prostate cancer screening subjects men to 'substantial harms,' warns one of its key architects

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Presumably in response to the continued release of independent
studies that warn about the uselessness of prostate cancer screenings, the
American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued its own alert about the
questionable practice. In a recent statement published in the journal Annals of
Internal Medicine, ACP petitions doctors to be wary about recommending prostate
cancer screenings to their patients, warning that they come with limited
benefits and a slew of "substantial harms."

As explained by ACP on its website, the group is strongly opposed to any men
younger than 50 or older than 69 receiving prostate cancer screenings, period.
And for men between the ages of 50 and 69, ACP strongly encourages a thorough
discussion with one's doctor before agreeing to a prostate-specific antigen
(PSA) test, as misdiagnosis and resultant unnecessary treatments can cause more
harm than good in the form of incontinence, impotence, and various other
devastating side effects.

"Before PSA testing, doctors and patients should discuss the potential
benefits and harms of screening and the patient's individual risk of prostate
cancer, general health, and preferences for testing and evaluation," says David
L. Bronson, M.D, F.A.C.P., and president of ACP. "Only men between the ages of
50 and 69 who express a clear preference for screening should have the PSA
test. For most of these men, the harms will outweigh the benefits."

Government agency determined back in 2012 that PSA tests are useless for men
of all ages
Such a statement represents an about-face for ACP, which just so happens to be
one of the original architects of the PSA test for prostate cancer. But it is a
welcomed change, especially in light of the fact that the United States
Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) last year determined that PSA
screenings are useless for all men, regardless of age. According to USPSTF
researchers, the harms of PSA testing far outweigh any alleged benefits.

Major harms caused by PSA screening include false positives that result in
unneeded treatment, including prostate biopsies that can lead to significant
bleeding, infection, or worse. False positives can also lead to treatments with
surgery or radiation, which can result in loss of sexual function, loss of
control of urination, and even death. There is also the risk of falsely
targeting benign tumors that are actually harmless, a major flaw of the PSA
test.

"Many people have a blind faith in early detection of cancer and subsequent
aggressive medical intervention whenever cancer is found," wrote Dr. Otis W.
Brawley, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society, in
an accompanying commentary published alongside the USPSTF's updated
recommendations. "There is little appreciation of the harms that screening and
medical interventions can cause."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.acponline.org/pressroom/prostate_cancer_screening.htm

http://www.acponline.org/pressroom/psa_release.htm

http://www.reuters.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/031950_prostate_cancer_screening.html

News

---

In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.