Too many American men are receiving inappropriate PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests for prostate cancer, researchers say.
In many cases, these screenings are being done in populations of either young or elderly men where the test has not proven beneficial, the experts report in the July 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"PSA screening is performed inappropriately in a great proportion in many cases," said lead author Dr. B. Price Kerfoot, from the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School.
For example, most current guidelines do not recommend PSA screening for men younger than 40 years of age, older than 75, or for men who are expected to live less than another 10 years, Kerfoot said. But many men in these groups are nonetheless getting the tests, the study found.
More information
For more information on the risk for prostate cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
| Tags: Men's Health, Prostate Cancer |
Labels: Cancer, Men's Health, Prostate Cancer
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