All Routine PSA Tests For Prostate Cancer Should End, Task Force Says

[skepticscott]

4. The real problem

is the overreaction to a spike in PSA, and the rush to extreme treatment measures at early signs of a problem. That's what has, ironically, made not being tested and not knowing if you have a problem healthier on average.

Testing certainly doesn't have to be done every year for everyone starting at 50, though closer monitoring for those with a patrilineal history of prostate cancer is prudent. If a PSA spike is detected, closer and more frequent monitoring is warranted, but rushing to radiation treatment or removal at that point is not usually wise. Prostate cancer tends to be slow to progress and non-aggressive. Most men who get it will die of something else first, even if it is not treated.