Men with a family history of Prostate cancer should get both PSA and digital checks each year. It's just common sense. Most doctors don't worry till the number hits above 10. It's wise to watch it. Elevated PSA numbers may or may not mean it is the aggressive type which the doctors do need to treat ASAP.
This is like telling women with family history of Breast Cancer not to do early preventative screen {mammogram} at an earlier age. I have a niece who would probably be dead had she not insisted. Yeah you bet your bottom dollars insurers would like to have that test limited also.
Myself along with my doctor should be the ones to determine if I need treatment or a preventative screening and not a bunch of Board Apes in the pockets of HMO's writing papers of their opinions trying to make such policy.
I do find it odd {sarcasm} that dad's Oncologist and Urologist both tested his PSA levels to monitor his cancer along with bone density test. Testing them told them when they needed to change type of treatment. There is a large movement going on in the HMO's & private insurers to re-write protocols & eliminate as many screenings as possible and they'll pay anyone to say anything. If Richard J. Ablin wishes to chance it that is his right. His rights end when he tries to impose this own actions or change protocols for others.
I’m also suspicious that a doctor is against the PSA test. But, as it turns out, the National Cancer Institute also is warning against the PSA test:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/PSA
Their argument is that sometimes radiation is unnecessary to kill the cancer, but the rads could harm the patient.
Still, I’m in favor of the PSA test. What the patient and his doctor decides to do is up to the patient.
During my radiation treatments, there was a man with prostate cancer scheduled for radiation at the same time of day. He told me that, at first, his doctors caught the cancer very early. He didn’t receive radiation or chemo - only surgery. After surgery, they told him he had nothing more to worry about.
Now, here he was again, this time receiving radiation because they found that the cancer spread to a nearby lymph node. So, you just can’t tell what will happen. I hope he’s OK.