Between the ages of 40 and 50, many men in the United States begin receiving a routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer as part of their yearly health exam. The purpose of the test is to detect the disease as early as possible, and if cancer cells are found, to begin treatment to stop the cancer's progression. Of the 20 million men who get a PSA test each year, most likely believe they are taking a proactive step to protect their health.
However, a recently formalized recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) advises the elimination of routine PSA screenings in healthy men, regardless of age. The USPSTF's new guidelines wholly contradict the belief among both doctors and patients that all cancer screenings are always good for all people all the time.
Side Effects of PSA Tests
As reported by CBS News and ABC news, the primary reason that the USPSTF urges doctors to stop performing routine PSA screenings is that the tests lead to treatments that do more harm than good to patients. Specifically, "elevated PSA readings are not necessarily evidence of prostate cancer, and can lead to unnecessary prostate biopsy." The USPSTF said:
- PSA screenings are often unreliable, giving a falsely positive result 80% of the time.
- When biopsies reveal signs of prostate cancer cells, evidence shows that a large proportion of cells will never cause harm, even if left untreated.
- In older men, the disease typically progresses so slowly that they die of other causes.
According to the USPSTF, medical procedures arising from the tests can have serious side effects on patients, including heart attacks, strokes, and possibly death. Removal of the prostate, radiation, and other treatments for prostate cancer can also cause erectile dysfunction, complete impotence, urinary incontinence, and bowel damage.
Many doctors have issues with the USPSTF recommendation, from both health and legal perspectives. For example, most urologists maintain that PSA screenings do benefit patients and have prevented many men from developing advanced prostate cancer. And even doctors who agree with the new USPSTF recommendation may continue screenings for fear of medical malpractice liability. What if they stop screening a patient, and then he is diagnosed with cancer that could arguably have been detected sooner?
Contact an Experienced, Knowledgeable Medical Malpractice Attorney in Colorado
New research findings and government recommendations regularly affect patient treatment protocols, and may give rise to medical malpractice issues when doctors choose to follow or not follow such recommendations. If you believe a doctor's decision to perform or not perform a medical test negatively impacted your health, you should talk to an experienced malpractice lawyer about any claims for recovery you may have. In Colorado, contact Paulsen & Armitage, LLC for a free and informative attorney consultation.
