Pros of PSA screening |
Cons of PSA screening |
|---|---|
| PSA screening may help you detect prostate cancer early. | Some prostate cancers are slow growing and never spread beyond the prostate gland. |
| Cancer is easier to treat and is more likely to be cured if it’s diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. | Not all prostate cancers need treatment. Treatment for prostate cancer may have risks and side effects, including urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction or bowel dysfunction. |
| PSA testing can be done with a simple, widely available blood test. | PSA tests aren’t foolproof. It’s possible for your PSA levels to be elevated when cancer isn’t present, and to not be elevated when cancer is present. |
| For some men, knowing is better than not knowing. Having the test can provide you with a certain amount of reassurance — either that you probably don’t have prostate cancer or that you do have it and can now have it treated. | A diagnosis of prostate cancer can provoke anxiety and confusion. Concern that the cancer may not be life-threatening can make decision-making complicated. |
| The number of deaths from prostate cancer has gone down since PSA testing became available. | PSA testing has lowered deaths, but the number may not be substantial enough to justify the cost and possibility of harm to the person undergoing the testing. |