| To the Editor: Doctor says PSA test valuable option |
| Written by Andre Gilbert, MD |
| Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:17 |
|
As a urologist practicing in northwest Ohio, I am gravely concerned by the new recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. These recommendations do a great disservice to men around the country, particularly those with a higher risk of the disease (i.e., African American men, those with a family history of the disease, those who are underinsured and those who live in rural areas with limited healthcare access). The decision to be tested for prostate cancer is an individual decision that men should discuss with their physicians; there is no single standard that applies to all men - nor should there be. No one can dispute that the PSA test has limitations, but when used and interpreted appropriately, the test provides valuable information in the diagnosis, pre-treatment staging, risk assessment and monitoring of prostate cancer patients. The American Urological Association recommends that the best decisions regarding prostate cancer testing comes from individualized discussions between a man and his urologist. It would be barbaric to universally dismiss the PSA test before a suitable alternative to prostate cancer diagnosis is available. There are many men in our community who would tell you that a PSA test saved their life. Andre Gilbert, MD Findlay |
Front Page Stories
| Local cities see growth 05/23/2013 | JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN Sentinel County Editor  While many other cities in the region are watching their populations shrink, Wood Coun [ ... ] |
Perrysburg at odds on member for council 05/23/2013 | PETER KUEBECK Sentinel Staff Writer  PERRYSBURG - A tie vote derailed an expected appointment to an empty council seat Tues [ ... ] | Other Front Page Articles
| ||
Comments
This newspaper could do a public service by printing some PCa facts about risk factors such as a man's mother's breast cancer, as well as a father's or brothers PCa. Dr. Patrick Walsh's book, "Surviving Prostate Cancer" is a good start.
And Dr. Gilbert, please remind your internist and family physician friends to let men whose mother's had breast cancer know that they can be at higher risk than the general population.
Prostate cancer, like any disease is treated more easily when diagnosed earlier.
RSS feed for comments to this post.