Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Prostate cancer screening no good?

Scientists urge men over the age of 75 to stop undergoing routine prostate cancer screening tests, saying that they are not beneficial.

According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the risks associated with early treatment do not outweigh its benefits, as unlike other cancers, prostate malignancies are slow growing tumors.

Previous studies had found that the early detection of the condition affects the health and life expectancy of only 29 to 44 percent of sufferers, proving wrong the belief that early treatment always improves survival chances.

Many experts believe that early treatment can also lead to various complications including erectile and bowel dysfunctions, urinary incontinence, and death.

US Preventive Services Task Force scientists concluded that frequent prostate cancer screening not only does not reduce disease-related mortality rate, but also financially and emotionally strains individuals and their families.


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