Screening can find it early before it spreads, offering a chance for cure. Most prostate cancers grow slowly, and those most likely to benefit from screening are men aged 50 to 65. The American Cancer Society recommends that the PSA test be offered annually, beginning at age 50, to men who have at least a ten-year life expectancy. The American College of Physicians believes that PSA screening should be offered to men on an individual basis, after they've been informed of the potential benefits and known risks. What's more, screening can be harmful if it detects small, slow-growing cancers that would never have hurt the patient but lead to treatment that causes the patient to leak urine or lose sexual function.
Many more men have small, slow-growing prostate cancers than deadly ones.
Furthermore, there is no sure way to tell a slow-growing tumor from a deadly one before surgery. However, they also increase the chance of letting an aggressive cancer spread beyond the prostate. If a man finds this waiting too emotionally taxing, he should consider avoiding PSA screening. Before deciding whether or not to get screened for prostate cancer, be sure you're fully informed of the issues. The Patient Advice and Consent Form developed by Dr. Gerald Chodak and his colleagues at The Prostate and Urology Center, Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital, in Chicago is a good place to start.