US Pharm. 2012;37(6):1.
Rockville, MD—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is recommending that men of all ages no longer be routinely screened for prostate cancer with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. The task force concluded that PSA screenings may only help one man in every 1,000 to avoid dying from prostate cancer, and that screening results in overdiagnosis of prostate cancer and unnecessary treatment that can cause impotency, incontinence, and persistent anxiety. Previously, the task force had recommended against routine PSA testing for men age 50 years and older. Critics of the decision said the group underestimated the PSA test’s benefits and overestimated its harms.
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