Prostate screening ‘unnecessary’ for seniors
If you are an Australian man 75-years and older, then chances are you will be unnecessarily screened for prostate cancer. New research released, by the Cancer council last week, reveals one-fifth of older Australian men do not really need to be tested for prostate cancer, and the side-effects from various treatments may be causing other multiple health problems.
If you are an Australian man 75-years and older, then chances are you will be unnecessarily screened for prostate cancer.
New research released, by the Cancer council last week, reveals one-fifth of older Australian men do not really need to be tested for prostate cancer, and the side-effects from various treatments may be causing other multiple health problems.
ABC radio reports the Australian Medical Association believes testing could be doing “more harm than good”.
The Cancer Council research, based on Medicare claims data, does not indicate why so many older men are being tested, with Professor Dianne O’Connell from the council’s New South Wales branch stating no “clear discriminators” are found in relation to socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and other health-related factors.
“I think we could do some further work talking to older men and look at their decision-making processes, but also start to look at healthcare professionals and the people who are ordering these tests to find out what’s driving that behaviour,” Professor O’Connell tells ABC.
Supporting the research is Australian Medical Association president, Steve Hambleton, who agrees it is “unnecessary” to screen men aged 75 years and over, but adds there has been “a lot of push” in the community to focus on men’s health.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of over 75-year-old men coming in asking to be screened… we’ve had breast screening programs for women, and there seems to be a push that men somehow have been missing out and prostate cancer has been seized upon,” Dr Hambleton says.
Do you think it is important for all men – regardless of age – to be tested for prostate cancer? Share your thoughts on this study by commenting in the box below.
