Earlier this month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of health experts sponsored by the Federal government to develop guidelines for preventive medicine, stated that the risks of prostate cancer screening among men older than 75 years outweighed the benefits to them. The rationale was that prostate cancer grows very slowly among older men and, as a result, most will die of causes other than prostate cancer.

And, to add more controversy to this issue, the American College of Preventive Medicine stated in January 2008 that there was “insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine population prostate screening.”

These conclusions will no doubt cause a lot of confusion and uncertainty among men and some healthcare professionals. It is likely that men will need to consult with their doctors about whether they should be screened given their specific medical history and health status.

Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among American men. Screening for prostate cancer consists of the digital rectal examination and the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. The risks of excessive screening include anxiety and potential harm from unnecessary surgery and radiation therapy to some men whose cancers do not need to be treated.

Have a question about prostate cancer or screening? Ask members of the Healia Prostate Cancer Community.