General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: How Mammograms Improve Survival but Not Mortality [View all]lostincalifornia
(5,366 posts)and low grade you have several options, one of which is Active Surveillance. Which is where the biggest change in prostate cancer is occurring, but they are still using PSAs, and every major medical institution and experts in prostate cancer still recommend it.
In addition, It has been shown in studies exceeding 10 years that if surgery or radiation therapy is used, the person has a greater than 90% chance of being cancer free after 10 years. That includes intermediate and high risk cancers, as long as they are localized.
Which is the whole point of detecting it early.
The USPSTF which recommended against PSA screening did NOT have ONE urologist in that group, which begs one to question their expertise in Prostate Cancer.
PSA is still being used, not on a single reading, but a trend, along with velocity, free PSA, Color Doppler MRI, and DRE, along with other diagnostics to determine if a biopsy is indicated.
Any doctor who does not order a PSA or do a DRE during a physical for any male over 50, is ignoring the advice of experts in the field.
As someone posted below in a response below, the study had some very questionable methodology:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2014/02/11/study-questions-value-mammography-reduce-breast-cancer-deaths/fQGBGHqCOZSKFRGhPgjULK/story.html