Men should not undergo regular PSA tests for the early detection of prostate cancer; they are ineffective and cause more harm than good – argued specialists during journalism workshops in Warsaw.
PSA tests consist in controlling the blood level of an antigen (Prostate Specific Antigen), produced by the cells of the prostate gland, whose task is to liquefy sperm. In healthy men, it only enters the bloodstream in trace amounts.
PSA levels from 0 ng / ml to 4 ng / ml are considered normal, although in older men it may be slightly higher. Too high its level may indicate benign prostatic hyperplasia or inflammation. “Sometimes, but only sometimes, it indicates the development of cancer of this gland” – emphasized prof. Radzisław Kordek from the Medical University of Łódź.
According to the specialist, the PSA level was found to be normal without much justification, and the test itself is not very reliable for prostate cancer. As many as one third of patients with this cancer have normal PSA levels.
Prof. Kordek believes that there is no benefit to screening with this test. He referred to the discoverer of this study, Prof. Richard Ablin, who admitted that the PSA test cannot detect prostate cancer, also does not make it possible to distinguish which tumor is dangerous and requires immediate treatment.
Some urologists say the PSA test is 30 percent. reduces mortality from prostate cancer. “However, this is not true because some of the men tested die from complications caused by unnecessary treatment. This is generally not discussed.
The specialist cited studies which show that out of 1000 men with high PSA who were treated with surgery or radiotherapy, 30-40 develop urinary incontinence and impotence. Occasionally there are heart attacks and thrombosis, one person out of 3 patients treated die due to postoperative complications.
“Taking all this into account, it turns out that PSA tests and the treatment used do not reduce the number of deaths from prostate cancer at all” – said prof. Kordek. He added that the US National Cancer Institute is warning against using these tests in screening.
“However, I doubt that this research will be stopped, because for many medical centers it is very profitable” – said the specialist. When an elevated PSA level is detected, further diagnostic tests are performed, and then therapies are implemented that generate financial benefits.
However, the vast majority of prostate tumors do not require aggressive treatment, such as surgery or radiotherapy. It is enough to carry out check-ups from time to time.
“However, the prevailing belief is that if a tumor is detected, it is better to remove it as soon as possible. It is not always true ”- emphasized prof. Jacek Jassem, president of the Polish Society of Oncology.
He added that the most important measure of any screening test is the reduction in overall patient mortality, not the effectiveness of early tumor detection. The excess of tests and procedures performed can be as dangerous as the disease itself.
Prof. Kordek emphasized that in Europe, for every patient with prostate cancer saved, there is one patient with this disease who died due to complications caused by the applied diagnostics and therapy.
If you want to find out if you are at risk of cancer, do the Male Cancer e-Packet – Extended Genetic Testing available with home blood sampling.
Only men at greatest risk of prostate cancer should be tested for PSA. It is mainly about those who have a relative in the family who has contracted prostate cancer – a grandfather, father, uncle or brother. In these people, the risk of developing the disease is much greater, at a younger age.
The workshops take place as part of the XNUMXrd Summer Oncology Academy for Journalists under the patronage of the Polish Cancer Society. Its organizers are Fundacja im. Maciej Hilgier and Health Project Management.
Zbigniew Wojtasiński (PAP)