Metastatic Prostate Cancer On the Rise: Debate Rages

Posted by Gregory Echt on February 20th, 2017

A relatively new study that shows the rates of metastatic prostate cancer rising in the United States has reignited the controversy surrounding screen recommendation changes made by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force back in 2012. Those changes took the standard prostate-specific antigen, or PSA blood test, off the table for men at relatively low risk for developing the disease. Meant to spare men from false positives and the unnecessary biopsies that go along with them, the move received instant backlash from practitioners who feared men with aggressive prostate cancer would slip through the cracks, not receiving diagnosis until later stages in the disease.

While the new study seems to support critics’ stand, there are some cautions to be noted. The study in question did not prove where the blame lies for an increased rate. Some say the problem could very well lie in the lack of routine screening that’s been witnessed since the recommendation was made. Others, however, say it is also possible that more aggressive prostate cancer is simply on the rise.

Although the study is not definitive in its findings, it does cast light on the need for men to take an active role in their care. Since all men are at risk for the development of prostate cancer as they age, this is a topic that should be of major import to them. To safeguard against prostate cancer, men should speak with their healthcare providers about their personal risks. Men of certain racial backgrounds, those with a family history of the disease and men who present with other elevated risks should, for example, undergo routine screening.

Prostate cancer screening recommendations may have changed, but this disease has not gone away. With the rate of metastatic cancer on the rise, all men are strongly urged to learn more about the disease, its risk factors and whether routine screening should be performed in their case regardless of USPSTF recommendations.

About Author

Dr. Echt and his team at the Prostate Seed Institute offer the most highly sophisticated methods of radiation therapy available in the United States, equal to that found in major medical center and academic settings. These include prostate seed implantation, high dose radiation implants, and external beam radiation with image-guided and intensity-modulated (IGRT and IMRT) capabilities.