Should I Be Tested For Prostate Cancer?

[Guest guest]

Amidst all the emotional and misleading media reports

and discussions on Internet Lists about the American Cancer Society and their

dastardly plan to ‘condemn tens of thousands to a painful death’ as

one poster put it, I wonder just how many people have actually read what the

ACS has to say to men. I suggest that there are very few, but those who are

more interested in facts than hype and spin might like to go along here http://preview.tinyurl.com/ACSAdvice

to read how the ACS answers the question Should I Be Tested For Prostate Cancer?

Here are some the the key points made by the ACS:

1. There are tests to find prostate

cancer early. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of prostate cancer

testing.

2. Here is what experts

know about prostate cancer testing and treatment.

o Testing will find

prostate cancer earlier than if no testing is done.

o Testing for prostate

cancer is performed with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test with or

without a rectal exam.

o Testing is not perfect.

Some men with increased PSA in their blood may not have prostate cancer. And

some men with prostate cancer may have a PSA level that is not increased.

o Some men who have

cancer may not need to be treated right away.

o The treatments for

prostate cancer can lead to side effects.

3. Here is what

experts do not know about prostate cancer testing and treatment.

• When testing finds prostate

cancer, it is often not clear which men will have the type of prostate cancer

that will be a serious threat to their health or cause death.

• When testing finds prostate

cancer, it is often not clear which men will have the type of prostate cancer

that is not likely to affect their health.

• It is often not known which

men will do well with treatment.

• It is often not known which

men will do well with no treatment

Does anyone disagree with these sensible statements,

all of which seem to me to be correct?

The only thing with which

I would disagree in the document is this statement <snip> It [prostate cancer] is a common cause of death

for men. <snip> As the current statistics

show it is not a common cause – unless accounting for less than 3% of

male deaths makes it a “common cause”.

All the best

Prostate men need enlightening, not frightening

Terry Herbert

- diagnosed in 1996 and still going strong

Read A Strange Place for unbiased information at http://www.yananow.net/StrangePlace/index.html