Need For PSA Testing

The US Preventative  Services Task Force (USPSTF) is updating its controversial guidance about prostate cancer screening, and a final research plan was published online last week.

The plan will guide a systematic review of the available evidence on prostate cancer screening. In turn, the systematic review “will form the basis of the Task Force’s updated recommendations statement on this topic,” according to the USPSTF website.

Dr. Jesse D. Sammon, a urologist from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston believes that current recommending from the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association have evolved intelligently. Both organizations now recommend joint decision- making about PSA testing with men 55 to 69 years of age. “The great survival benefit [of the testing is in this age group,” he stated.

“Therefore, the mortality benefit justifies consideration of the test, in spite of known risks,” Dr. Sammon argued.

At PCaAware we still hold that all men starting at age 40 need to start having their PSA tested to at least establish a baseline especially if there is any history of prostate cancer in the family history.  Its important for all men and in particular for African American men to speak up and share information with their physicians.  Its time to end the silence that surrounds this disease.