Guys: Is this “required” prostate screening NEEDED?

Remember when you could get a “free” prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test – a blood test to screen for prostate cancer – in the most unlikely places… like at ballgames and such?

On the surface, it came across like a nice public service… making guys feel more “comfortable” and “at ease.”

Well, as the old adage goes…

No good deed goes unpunished!

Because despite the big PSA “push”, it DIDN’T lead to increased survival and it DIDN’T cut the death rate due to prostate cancer.

Even conventional health authorities TURNED AGAINST it for most guys in most situations.

But now that the dust has settled, a recent study shows they’re slowly and quietly reverting to their old bad habits…

Luckily, there’s a way to make sure you don’t get stuck settling for a PSA to ensure a healthy prostate – when in reality it may not be needed at all!

After years of PSA tests dropping, the numbers are back on the rise… increasing by 12.5% within just four years.

They seem to specifically target guys who are MOST CONCERNED about their health… but LEAST LIKELY to benefit from screening and treatment.

Yes, friend, they’re going after SENIORS.

The PSA testing rate has recently jumped by 16.2% in men between the ages of 70 and 89.

We know where more screenings lead…

They lead to more biopsies, first off… which are NOT harmless.

They’re painful (they’re sticking a needle up the you-know-what after all), they could lead to infection.

And POKING a harmless tumor could cause cancer cells to pop out and potentially SPREAD… which is how a HARMLESS tumor turns into a DANGEROUS one.

And secondly, more PSAs and more biopsies lead to more treatments – which, as we’ve already established, does NOT lead to fewer deaths.

I won’t say you should never, ever get a PSA test or any other screening.

But I will say this…

If you have ZERO symptoms… and your doc is pushing for one anyway…

Push back and ask WHY.

Do some homework… and make your own decision based on facts.

And if you get screened… and it turns out you DO have cancer… don’t assume treatment is an automatic. Most guys do just fine with the watch-and-wait approach.

When you reach the point where you’re ready for treatment… consider some non-invasive approaches, like HIFU (which sounds like a form of martial arts, but isn’t).

In Your Corner,
Dr. Allan Spreen

Sources:

MedPage Today. “Are the Right Men Getting Screened for Prostate Cancer?” https://www.medpagetoday.com/urology/prostatecancer/95595