They Finally Admit PSA Doesn"t Work!
A year ago I wrote in my blog that research and the available scientific data on PSA testing clearly showed that it was very inaccurate at detecting prostate cancer, does not save lives and actually created more health problems.
I mentioned the evidence had been there for decades, but was ridiculed, suppressed and ignored by the medical community.
I also explained that the reason was, as usual, because of money, big money.
PSA testing and the followup testing, procedures and treatment that are generated by it, creates billions and billions of dollars of revenue.
Well lo and behold according to a recent New York Times article, a recommendation by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, is that PSA testing should not be done on healthy men.
The recommendations are hard to intelligently argue with as they are based on five well-controlled clinical trials.
Well at least they got it half right.
I mean if the test has shown to basically be useless, which they admit, why give it to anyone, healthy or sick? No matter, at least someone, someone official and credible at that, is finally starting to tell the public the truth.
The Task Force confirmed the facts I revealed in my blog.
The evidence showed that the test did not save lives.
It also revealed that the test often generated more tests and treatments which they found to be unwarranted, leading to needless pain, impotence and incontinence.
From 1986 to 2005 1 million men received a surgery, radiation or both, who would not have without a PSA test.
This resulted in 5,000 dying soon after, 10,000 to 70,000 suffering serious complications, and 300,000 becoming impotent, incontinent or both.
That means the 35% percent or 350,000, of those men were worse (much worse if they died) than they would have been had they not received treatment.
Should be no surprise there as the scientific data tells us that only 3% of the patients that get prostate cancer ever die from it and the vast majority of the remainder have little or no discomfort or dysfunction.
In light of these facts, for years most ethical Doctors have recommended a "watch and wait" strategy instead of any active treatment.
Who in their right mind wouldn't, if the choice was between a 97% chance of not dying, or having any significant symptoms versus a 35% chance of being much worse.
Unfortunately it is going to be awhile before enough people get the message and enough Doctors do the right thing and stop ordering the test.
Until then if you are male and over 50, do yourself a big, big favor and just pass on the PSA! It may save your life.
I mentioned the evidence had been there for decades, but was ridiculed, suppressed and ignored by the medical community.
I also explained that the reason was, as usual, because of money, big money.
PSA testing and the followup testing, procedures and treatment that are generated by it, creates billions and billions of dollars of revenue.
Well lo and behold according to a recent New York Times article, a recommendation by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, is that PSA testing should not be done on healthy men.
The recommendations are hard to intelligently argue with as they are based on five well-controlled clinical trials.
Well at least they got it half right.
I mean if the test has shown to basically be useless, which they admit, why give it to anyone, healthy or sick? No matter, at least someone, someone official and credible at that, is finally starting to tell the public the truth.
The Task Force confirmed the facts I revealed in my blog.
The evidence showed that the test did not save lives.
It also revealed that the test often generated more tests and treatments which they found to be unwarranted, leading to needless pain, impotence and incontinence.
From 1986 to 2005 1 million men received a surgery, radiation or both, who would not have without a PSA test.
This resulted in 5,000 dying soon after, 10,000 to 70,000 suffering serious complications, and 300,000 becoming impotent, incontinent or both.
That means the 35% percent or 350,000, of those men were worse (much worse if they died) than they would have been had they not received treatment.
Should be no surprise there as the scientific data tells us that only 3% of the patients that get prostate cancer ever die from it and the vast majority of the remainder have little or no discomfort or dysfunction.
In light of these facts, for years most ethical Doctors have recommended a "watch and wait" strategy instead of any active treatment.
Who in their right mind wouldn't, if the choice was between a 97% chance of not dying, or having any significant symptoms versus a 35% chance of being much worse.
Unfortunately it is going to be awhile before enough people get the message and enough Doctors do the right thing and stop ordering the test.
Until then if you are male and over 50, do yourself a big, big favor and just pass on the PSA! It may save your life.
