Should you be screened for prostate cancer? CDC's answer: it is different for every man. Anyone considering it should learn the possible benefits and harms and talk with a doctor about his own risk.
A CDC video on the possible benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening.
Image from CDC's page on prostate cancer awareness.
What screening is
Cancer screening means looking for cancer before it causes symptoms. For prostate cancer, the goal is to find early a cancer that might spread if left untreated. There is no standard screening test, but two are commonly used:
| Test | How it works | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| PSA blood test | Measures prostate specific antigen, a substance the prostate makes | PSA can be high for many reasons besides cancer — an enlarged prostate, a prostate infection, some medicines |
| Digital rectal exam | A provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel the prostate for anything abnormal | — |
Possible benefits
Screening may catch a cancer that is likely to spread, so it can be treated first. For some men, that may lower the chance of dying from prostate cancer.
Possible harms
- Most prostate cancers grow slowly and never cause health problems. Finding one can bring worry and lead to tests and treatments that were not needed, some with serious side effects.
- False positives. A PSA test can be abnormal when there is no cancer, often leading to more unnecessary tests.
- Biopsy. The only way to know whether an abnormal result means cancer is a biopsy — removing a small piece of prostate tissue to examine under a microscope. It can cause pain, blood in the semen or ejaculate, and infection.
- Treatment side effects. The most common treatments for early-stage (localized) prostate cancer are surgery to remove the prostate, radiation therapy, and active surveillance — regular testing, with treatment only if the cancer grows or causes symptoms. Surgery and radiation can cause impotence, loss of bladder control and bowel problems.
Questions to discuss with your doctor
- Is your risk of prostate cancer higher than average?
- Do you have other health problems that would make treatment harder, or make screening less likely to help you?
- How do you feel about the possible benefits and harms of screening, diagnosis and treatment?
CDC also offers a short video on the benefits and harms of screening and "Talk to Nathan," a virtual conversation that answers questions about screening and treatment. The National Cancer Institute has more on prostate cancer screening and prostate changes and conditions.
Sources
Based on "Prostate Cancer Awareness," Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
- The film is the agency's own low-resolution copy, recovered from the Internet Archive's record of cdc.gov.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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