Overtreatment - Just one more way for your local physician to get rich.

This article makes no sense. It criticizes the use of PSA as a diagnostic tool, and then finds fault with treating the disease in patients with low PSA scores. Which is it? PSA scores are unreliable or they aren't?

In addition, like so many of these articles recently, nothing is said about the rate of change from one PSA score to another. It also omits incidents of a diagnosing doctor finding what feels like a tumor during a standard digital rectal exam, followed up by comparing annual PSA scores against one performed at the time of the DRE, and then one a few months later indicating fairly rapid PSA change, which under standard practice is usually followed up by a biopsy. All three methods play a role in diagnosis.

I contribute my own cancer recovery, with no apparent permanent side effects from the brachytherapy, to my docs following that procedural structure and getting treatment early. I would be surprised to find that a lot of cancer procedures are being done solely on the basis PSA scores entirely, but that most are being done after relative scoring is examined in addition to other diagnosing procedures. Frankly, I'm damned glad my doctors used all three methods, and that a part of their decision (and mine) used PSA scores before and after treatment first as indicators of growing disease and then as indicators of treatment success.

Doctors and their cohort the phamaceutical and the medical insurance industries, are working together to rip off the American people to get rich with the spoils. If PSA has been used as an indicator of high and low risk of prostrate cancer for years, why is the criteria being changed. It will double the number of patients diagnosed for surgery. This means billions of dollars to line up the pockets of doctors, hospitals, drug manufacturers and medical insurance plans. The reaction to the new law just passed protecting the American people against medical insurance fraud has just begun. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Wake up people. Don't allow yourself to become a victim of these vultures.

I didn't think the article was well written either. Glad for your recovery! This link might explain it better.

http://www.umdnj.edu/research/publications/fall09/index.htm

I have been followed closely since 1994 when my Father died from Prosate Cancer. My older brother was diagnosed 8 years ago and I found I had Prostate Cancer last month. That is 75% of the males in my family. Only my younger brother has not seen his PSA numbers climb. By the way, I am 65 years old. I hope to live without the problems my father had since treatments weren't as good 25 years ago when he was diagnosed. You may be able to live many years without treatment, but death by Prostate Cancer isn't very easy. It closes down you ability to pass urine and stool as the prostate gland grow into the colon. Yes I will be treated.

My PSA was less than 4, but had risen rapidly since the previous PSA test. A biopsy showed prostate cancer in two samples. The cancer was contained in the prostate. I had to wait for 6-8 weeks for surgery. After the surgery, it was discovered that the cancer had escaped into the prostate encapsulation. This was a very fast growing cancer. Four years later my PSA started to rise. Tests showed a return of the prostate cancer. I had 37 radiation treatments. My PSA is now <.01. I hope to remain cancer free for several years. I was 59 when the cancer was detected. I am gratefull for a great Dr. that detected the cancer early and let me determine my course of treatment.

the writer can say too many people are getting treated overaggressively for prostate cancer if he wants, but when you find you have cancer growing in your body it needs to be eliminated......