Is PSA still worth as a test for prostate cancer?

Unlike most other forms of cancer, the early stages of prostate cancer rarely produce symptoms. As a result, prostate cancer often isn’t detected until it has spread to other organs. If detected early, however, chances of treating and curing prostate cancer are high. For the last two decades, the first line of defense has been the PSA test, a simple, relatively inexpensive blood test that measures a prostate-specific antigen produced by the gland. Since cancer cells produce more PSA than normal cells, the level of PSA circulating in the blood is an indication of the probability of cancer.

Two recent studies confirm longstanding concerns about the wisdom of widespread prostate cancer screening using the prostate-specific antigen blood test.

The two studies found that the popular PSA test save few lives and often lead to risky and unnecessary treatments for large numbers of men. The newest question is: should men age 50 and older have an annual PSA test for prostate cancer? [ read full article ]