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Articles on PSA

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Men are 17% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than they were 30 years ago. fizkes/Shutterstock

29,000 cancers overdiagnosed in Australia in a single year

New research estimates 24% of cancers in men that were detected in 2012 were overdiagnosed, meaning they never would have caused harm if left untreated.
A blood test can reveal whether the level of a protein produced by prostate cells is elevated. Ontakrai/Shutterstock.com

Prostate cancer screening: An expert explains why new guidelines were needed

Prostate cancer is the second deadliest cancer among men, but not all types of the disease are as deadly as others. That has led to confusion over screening. An expert explains why new guidelines make sense.
Many men who have prostate cancer will die with it, rather than of it. from shutterstock.com

PSA testing for prostate cancer is only worth it for some

Since the 1980s, PSA tests have been used for the diagnosis and follow-up of prostate cancer. However, its use as a screening test for prostate cancer remains controversial.
Liquid biopsy is less invasive than standard biopsy, where a needle is put into a solid tumour to confirm a cancer diagnosis. Shutterstock

A new blood test can detect eight different cancers in their early stages

There are currently few effective and non-invasive methods to screen for early stages of cancer. But scientists have now developed a new blood test that promises to detect eight different cancers.
Two new studies are bursting the bubble about the value of screening men for prostate cancer. from www.shutterstock.com

Prostate cancer testing: has the bubble burst?

Two major studies cast doubt on the value of screening for prostate cancer, yet it continues regardless.
Professional organisations offer conflicting recommendations on the merits of PSA testing for prostate cancer. Flickr/anaxolotl

Movember messaging: getting to the bottom of prostate cancer testing

The Movember campaign, which encourages men to grow moustaches each November to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, has helped raise the profile of prostate cancer. Statistics such as “one in eight…
The new test could potentially spare men from unnecessarily having their prostate removed. Jeff Werner

Gene test may reduce unnecessary prostate removals

A new test could help doctors better understand which prostate cancers are likely to remain slow growing and could be managed with surveillance only, potentially sparing thousands of men from unnecessary…
Over-diagnosis and over-treatment happen for many reasons – and consumers contribute as well. www.shutterstock.com

The ethics of over-diagnosis: risk and responsibility in medicine

OVERDIAGNOSIS EPIDEMIC – Today, Stacy Carter presents a philosophical view of over-diagnosis and what can be done to change how things stand. Recently a friend told me a story about her dad. Fit and well…
Should a faceless committee decide whether men should have treatment? Meeting(green) from www.shutterstock.com

Giving men choice: the case for routine prostate cancer screening

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a common blood test used by doctors to assess whether an individual has prostate cancer. It also predicts the risk of developing prostate cancer sometime in the future…
A diagnosis of early prostate cancer may end up doing more harm than good. Medical Office picture from Shutterstock

More harm than good: rethinking routine prostate cancer screening

My offer for a public debate was accepted after I co-published opposing viewpoints about the high rates of over-diagnosis and over-treatment of early stage prostate cancer with leading urologist Professor…

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