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Wrong men may receive prostate cancer testing, study finds

Category: Prostate

Too few men who are at high risk of prostate cancer receive preventative measures, such as prostate cancer testing, according to a new study from the University of Chicago Medical Center.

After reviewing the medical histories of thousands of men, which were available in a Medicare database, the researchers found that only 39 percent who were considered at high risk for prostate cancer were being screened, according to DOTmed News.

Furthermore, the researchers found a potential overuse of testing resources among men who are at lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Half of the men in an intermediate risk group were screened while 39 percent of those in the lowest risk group received testing.

The researchers told the news source that the numbers are troubling and indicate that more needs to be done to help the right men get tested for the illness, which is one of the most common forms of cancer in men.

Each year, nearly 30,000 men die of prostate cancer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.