Question:
Do I
need a digital rectal examination DRA and a prostate gland PSA tests?
I am
57 years old and healthy.
Keith
Answer:
Dear
Keith,
There
is no clear evidence that the decrease in deaths from prostate cancer
is due to early detection and treatment based on PSA or due to other
factors.
In fact,
in numerous studies, men who get screened have not been shown to live
longer than men who don't.
The majority
of prostate cancers are found in men age 65 years or older.
The option
to have PSA testing begins at age 40 and continues until you're at
the age when your life expectancy is 10 years or fewer. Once you reach
that age, the likelihood that a prostate cancer would progress and
cause problems during the remainder of your lifetime is small.
You may
end up with a diagnosis of prostate cancer that is not a threat to
your health and doesn't require treatment. This can cause anxiety
and unnecessary testing with risks of pain, bleeding and infection.
False-positives
in PSA tests are common. Only about one in four men who have a positive
PSA test turns out to have prostate cancer.
