Private MD News

PSA testing shown to cut prostate cancer deaths

Category: Prostate

Despite recent controversy over the necessity of screening all men for prostate cancer using PSA testing, a new study has found that using the screening tool can cut deaths from prostate cancer in half.

PSA testing is the standard method for determining a man's risk for developing prostate cancer. However, the procedure has recently come under fire, as some medical professionals believe the test leads to an overdiagnosis of growths that don't need to be treated. This can put an added strain on the healthcare system.

However, the new study from researchers in Sweden found that those who do not seek annual PSA testing are almost twice as likely to receive an initial diagnosis of advanced stage prostate cancer. The disease can be treated relatively easily when it is caught early, but it can be deadly when it is left untreated, according to HealthDay News.

"Our study shows that in those men invited [to the study], the risk of dying is only half of that in the control group," said Jonas Hugosson, the lead researcher, as quoted by the news source. "In men younger than 60 at study entry, the effect was even more pronounced - only one-quarter of expected deaths occurred."