** FILE ** In this Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, picture, Louis Gossett Jr. arrives at a screening of "Nine" in Los Angeles. The Oscar-winning actor says he is being treated for prostate cancer. In the announcement Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, Gossett says the disease was caught early and he expects to make a full recovery. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)ATLANTA (AP) -- The American Cancer Society is urging doctors to make clearer to men that the test used to screen for prostate cancer has limits and may lead to unnecessary treatments that do more harm than good.
The cancer society has not recommended routine screening for most men since the mid-1990s, and that is not changing. But its new advice goes farther to warn of the limitations of the PSA blood test that millions of American men get now. It also says digital rectal exams should be an option rather than part of a standard screening.
The new advice is the latest pushback from routine screening to hunt for early cancers. Last year, a government task force said most women don't need mammograms in their 40s and a doctors group said most women in their 20s don't need annual Pap tests.
American men have long been urged to have prostate cancer screenings, but over time studies have suggested that most cancers found are so slow-growing that most men could have avoided treatment. The treatments can lead to incontinence or impotence.
The Atlanta-based cancer society is perhaps the most influential group in giving screening advice. Its new guidance released Wednesday on prostate cancer urges doctors to:
--Discuss the pros and cons of testing with their patients, including giving them written information or videos that discuss the likelihood of false test results and the side effects of treatment.
--Stop giving the rectal exam as a standard prostate cancer screening because it has not clearly shown a benefit, though it can remain an option.
--Use past PSA readings to determine how often followup tests are needed and to guide conversations about treatment.
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men. An estimated 192,000 new cases and 27,000 deaths from it occurred last year in the United States.
But it is a slow-growing cancer in many cases, and depending on a man's age, he may be more likely to die of something else. Major studies have suggested routine screening doesn't save lives and often leads to worry and unnecessary treatment.
By Jeannine Aversa - Associated Press
updated 35 minutes ago
The recovery lost momentum in the spring as growth slowed to a 2.4 percent pace, its most sluggish showing in nearly a year and too weak to drive down unemployment. Published 8:33 a.m. July 30, 2010
By Sean Lengell - The Washington Times
The House ethics committee officially lodged charges against Rep. Charles B. Rangel, including that he used his office to raise $8 million for a college public policy center named after him and didn't file taxes while he was Congress' chief tax writer. Published 8:56 p.m. July 29, 2010
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
A conservative satirist takes on the worlds of politics and entertainment in humorous pursuit of truth, justice, and all things America.
Join Matt on weekly adventures in all forms as he pushes his comfort levels in attempt to stimulate body, mind, and soul.
A slice of suburban family life from the diverse perspectives of a politically-minded mom.
Join the Evolution with Adam Omkara! Empowering, cutting edge mind/body/spirit and health dialogue.
