PSA Screening: What You Need to Know
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is a controversial topic in the medical community. There are both pros and cons to getting a PSA test, and it is important to weigh these factors carefully before making a decision. The PSA test is a blood test that measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a protein that is produced by the prostate gland. A high PSA level can be a sign of prostate cancer, but it can also be caused by other conditions, such as an enlarged prostate or prostatitis. The benefits of PSA screening include the potential to detect prostate cancer early, when it is more treatable. Early detection can also help to reduce the risk of death from prostate cancer. The risks of PSA screening include the possibility of false-positive results. A false-positive result means that the test indicates that a man has prostate cancer when he does not. This can lead to unnecessary biopsies and treatment. Another risk of PSA screening is overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis occurs...