Prostate Cancer Screening Right for You or Not

Prostate cancer screening is a personal choice, although you can speak with your healthcare provider about your overall health and also the family history if a close kin has gone through the odds of having prostate cancer. Your healthcare provider would be able to guide you through the process of getting a PSA blood test, the risk and benefits involved in it.

Men who are above the age of 55 years do benefit from prostate cancer screening, best done after consulting your healthcare provider. He would decide whether you should take up the PSA blood test or not.

Benefits of a PSA test are-

• Normal PSA levels would keep your mind at ease.
• PSA test helps find the cancer in the early stage so it is easier to treat, before it spreads.
• Early treatment for prostate cancer can slow down the whole process of spreading.

High levels of PSA mean-

• Only one third of  high PSA levels account for prostate cancer.
• If PSA levels are high bur DRE is not normal, further blood and urine tests would be conducted.
• You would be under observation.
• A biopsy of the prostate would be advised in order to confirm cancer.

Risks involved in PSA tests-

• Sometimes a normal PSA test could miss prostate cancer.
• Sometimes the result could be false.
• A false PSA report would lead to a biopsy unnecessarily.