Prostate cancer affects approximately one in seven men, according to the American Cancer Society.
But a new study shows that there has been a significant drop in the number of new diagnoses. The author of the study suggests that a controversial recommendation from a government task force may be behind that decline.
Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital Dr. David Samadi shared his valuable perspective on this “alarming” study.
Dr. Samadi explained that in 2011, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) began discouraging the use of prostate-specific antigen-based screenings for prostate cancer.
He said that resulted in less testing, which resulted in a reduction in detections of intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer.
“This is a huge mistake,” Dr. Samadi said. “This is a curable disease. It’s a silent killer. There are no symptoms. So, men out there, go out there and get tested and talk to your doctors about this. Don’t ignore this.”
