The debate over the usefulness of prostate screenings rages on. Two more studies have reiterated longstanding concerns: While routine testing may save a few lives, it might not be worth the exorbitant price. A U.S. study of some 76,000 men has found that routine screening did not save lives, while a European study of 162,000 men concluded that there were about 7 fewer deaths per 10,000 men screened. The studies were released Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine in connection with a conference in Sweden. “The hope was there that there’d be a clear answer. Either that there was so little or no benefit that it clearly wasn’t worth the risks. Or that the benefit was so large, that it was,” said Dr. Michael Barry of Massachusetts General Hospital, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal. “What we’re left with is something in between — that the benefit is fairly small … and the risks are pretty big.” There are more than 186,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed among American men each year. Of those, about 28,660 will die of the disease. Blood tests measure prostate specific antigens (PSA) and whether there is a need for a biopsy to confirm the existence of a tumor. There is wide disagreement among medical experts about the best way to deal with the tumors.

TAGS: biopsy, prostate cancer, PSA

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