Prostate Cancer Screening Bad for Men Over 75?

Health news for our older citizens..

Prostate Cancer Screening Bad for Men Over 75?
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The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that men over 75 should stop the routine prostate cancer screening since the risks involved pose more immediate danger than the cancer itself, according to media reports Wednesday.

The task force said that screening can detect some cases of prostate cancer, but the benefits of treatment in men over 75 "are small to none, because the treatment often causes "moderate-to-substantial harms," without evidence it saves the lives of these elderly men.

The panel did not recommend for or against prostate screening of men under 75 but suggested that doctors discuss the potential benefits and harms of the test with their patients.

"We carefully reviewed the available evidence to measure the benefits and harms of screening for prostate cancer and could not find adequate proof that early detection leads to fewer men dying of the disease," said task force chairman Ned Calonge...