ACS calls for education about after-effects of cancer screening

The guidelines issued on Wednesday underline the importance of educating men before they undergo the PSA test for prostate cancer screening.

It has also recommended reduction in employing digital rectal exams to spot tumors and advised against the trend of community prostate-screenings held at places like health fairs.

The guidelines
The American Cancer Society issued the revised guidelines after several studies pointed out that a significant number of tumors detected through PSA are trivial and that the treatment procedures, biopsies etc could be more harmful than the tumors.

Therefore, the guidelines stress on the importance of the patients being told about the risk and benefit of such treatment to help them make more informed decisions.

The society also called for involvement of counselors, videos and pamphlets in imparting this knowledge to the patients, possibly due to the apparent unlikelihood of physicians spending so much time in doing so.

A reduction in the mass screening programs was also recommended for lack of any attempt to educate people during such mass drives.

The once pertinent procedure of digital rectal examination was also downplayed by the society on the pretext that there was little substantiation that the process could save lives.

Screening for life or complications?
American Cancer Society’s chief medical officer, Dr. Otis W. Brawley said the new guidelines were in line with those issued in the years 1997 and 2001.

“We have two clinical trials that very vividly illustrate the uncertainties associated with screening," he added.

The trials indicate that instead of lowering the risk of death caused by prostate cancer the PSA screening is likely to increase it somewhat, perhaps due to unnecessary treatments. And thus, the need to understand the possible risks is even greater.

However, some experts are of the view that the cancer society is overlooking the screening’s ability to check complications like incontinence, anemia, leaking of urine, bone pain and weight loss, caused by tumor.

A urological oncology specialist at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Dr. S. Adam Ramin said, "Although it is true that treatment will not necessarily save a lot of lives, it does prevent complications."