More men are screened for prostate cancer than colon cancer (American Cancer Society News) April 10, 2003 - Despite proven effectiveness of colorectal cancer testing, more men are tested for prostate cancer than for colorectal cancer. There is controversy over whether the PSA blood test for prostate cancer is effective in reducing mortality from the disease. The US Preventative Services Task Force concluded in 2002 that there was insufficient evidence to recommend routine prostate cancer screening for all men and that there was inconclusive evidence that early detection of prostate cancer improves outcomes.
False positives may lead to unnecessary biopsies and anxiety. In addition, many slow-growing prostate cancers are better left untreated to avoid side effects of surgery and radiation.
On the other hand, the USPSTF recommends that all men and women of average risk begin colorectal cancer screening at age 50 based on evidence that screening reduces deaths.
In the study of over 49,000 men over age 40, 75% of men over age 50 had been screened with the PSA test at least once and 57% had had the test in the previous year. Only 63% of the men had been screened for colorectal cancer with either and FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy, and just 48% were up-to-date with screenings.
The results are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 289, No. 11: 1414-1420).
Read the report from the American Cancer Society onYahoo! Health News
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