Advanced prostate cancer cases are rising: Are PSA screening standards to blame?
Dr. Steven Eisenberg of cCARE shares his expertise on the use of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing when conducting prostate cancer screening. While early detection of this cancer by PSA testing can lead to to unnecessary treatment in certain circumstances, it is still a powerful tool in detecting early cases of the disease.
Dr. Eisenberg discussed why the pros of PSA testing outweigh the cons.
“There have been concerns of over-treatment of early stage prostate cancer,” he said. “However, when screening is diminished, we are catching fewer cases in the earliest stage. True, fewer early diagnosed cases would prevent over-treatment. However, a higher percentage of men would be expected to present in a more advanced stage.”