Jan 9, 2006

Does Screening For Prostate Cancer Saves Lives?

The debate over the reason to screen males for prostate cancer continues. Adding to this debate. two widely used screening tests for prostate namely digital rectal examination (DRE) and PSA testing does not save lives as per a new study.

This was a small study, which included only 1,002 men, and for the same reason will not be the final word on this controversy. Nevertheless, this may hint at what lies in the lead when the results of two large studies of prostate cancer screening appear in a few years.

The researchers looked at these two common screening tests that are performed millions of times a year in the United States: PSA, and a DRE.

A co-author of the study, Dr. John Concato, said that for now, doctors should tell men that screening tests for prostate cancer are not perfect, and men should decide for themselves whether to get screened.

The reason why there is no benefit in screening may be due to the fact that some cases of prostate cancer can be so slow-growing that they never cause symptoms, much less death. Treatment for these slow growing tumors using surgery or radiation can cause incontinence and impotence. So for some men, detecting prostate cancer early through screening can do more harm than good.

The results of PSA may be ambiguous results. It should be remembered that most men who undergo a biopsy because they have elevated PSA levels do not have prostate cancer. On the other hand, some men with low PSA levels may present with prostate cancer.

Various medical organizations have differing opinions regarding screening of prostate cancer. But most of these recommendations suggest a benefit to screening.

Mark      

Do You Read All Of Our Cancer Blogs?

Do you read all of the blogs published by medicineworld.org? Many of our bloggers are busy keeping you updated on the various health related topics. We publish the following blogs at this time.

Cancer blog: I manage the cancer blog with lots of help and support form other bloggers. Through this cancer blog my friends and I try to bring stories of hope for patients with cancer. The cancer blog often republishes important blog posts from other cancer related blogs at Medicineworld.org. If you are searching for a blog that covers wide variety of cancer topics, this may be the one for you.

Breast cancer blog: Breast cancer blog is run by Emily and other bloggers and they bring you the latest stories, news and events that are related to breast cancer. Increasing awareness about breast cancer among women and in the general population is the main goal of this breast cancer blog.

Lung cancer blog: Lung cancer blog is managed by Scott with the help of other bloggers. Through this blog Scott and his friends constantly remind the readers about the dangers of smoking. It's a never-ending struggle against this miserable disease with which a social stigma of smoking is associated.

Colon cancer blog: Colon cancer blog is run by Sue and other bloggers. Sue brings a personal touch to the colon cancer blog since her mother died of colon cancer few years ago. She writes about stories, research news and advances in treatment related to colon cancer.

Prostate cancer blog: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. American Cancer Society estimates that over 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer occur in the United state every year. This important blog about prostate cancer is run by Mark and other bloggers. This blog brings news, stories, and other personal observations related to prostate cancer.

Medicineworld.org publishes a diabetes watch blog and this blog is run by JoAnn other bloggers. This diabetes watch blog brings you the latest in the field of diabetes. This includes personal stories, advances in diagnosis and treatment, and other observations about diabetes. Improving awareness about diabetes is an important mission of this group.

Janet      

Prostate cancer
The prostate is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum in male. The tube that carries urine runs through the prostate. The prostate contains cells that make some of the seminal fluid. This fluid protects and nourishes the sperm. Prostate cancer usually starts in the gland cells of the prostate. This kind of cancer is known as adenocarcinoma. Prostate cancer is usually a slow disease, but sometimes it can grow fast and spread quickly to other organs.