According to the recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force appearing in Tuesday's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the panel found evidence that prostate cancers detected through the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test take more than 10 years, the life expectancy of men over 75, to become life-threatening.
"Because many prostate cancers grow slowly, early detection may not benefit a patient's health and in some cases may even cause harm," said Ned Calonge, the Task Force chair and chief medical officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, according to Newswise.
Evidence found by the panel indicated that the PSA test provided few health benefits but led to substantial physical harm and some psychological harm in men age 75 and older. The panel also recommended that men below 75 years old discuss first the benefits and harms of PSA with their doctors before taking the test.
