Aug
08
“Watchful Waiting” Advice May Lead To Delayed Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer
08-08-2009
Tagged Under : Cancer, Prostate Cancer
The PSA blood test is used by doctors to screen asymptomatic men for prostate cancer. A PSA above 4.0 ng/mL is generally considered to be elevated. Since prostate cancer increases the PSA level as the cancer progresses doctors generally recommend a biopsy if the PSA test comes back abnormally high.
When a factor other than prostate cancer causes the PSA level to raise the elevated PSA is called a “false positive.” A biopsy has risks, such as the risk of infection and the risk of excessive bleeding. Given these two facts some doctors advise that their male patients follow a plan of “watchful waiting.” Under such a plan the doctor monitors the patient’s elevated PSA over a period of months or years. Read more