A Guide On Prostate Cancer Screening

By Olive Pate


Significant breakthroughs have been realized in medical care in modern times. Prostate cancer screening process is a disease control method that detects the presence of the cancer in advance before the symptoms become present. The cancerous growth takes a long while to develop although in some cases it does not develop.

There are two tests commonly used to screen the prostatic cancerous growth which is the Digital-Rectal exam where the doctor inserts a finger in gloves which has been lubricated into the rectum to feel and approximate the prostate gland and feel for any abnormalities such as the lumps.

The prostate specific antigen test which measures the quantity of the antigens specific to prostate and are made by the prostate in the blood. The PSA levels in men are considered to be higher in men with cancerous growth present in them. It may also increased by other factors affecting the glands. Certain medical procedures and medications as well as age and race may also affect the PSA levels.

The PSA based screening procedures may result in the detection of many cases of asymptomatic cancer. The asymptomatic cancer may result into a non-progressive or progressive tumor that would have otherwise remained asymptomatic.

The screening is purposed to lower the deaths resulting from the disease. It is also meant to slow down and prevent metastasizing of the disease. Depending on how far the cancerous growth has spread, men detected with the tumor are described in three ways.Those who ultimately result in death in spite of the early detection and treatment, those who survive without the screening procedures and those who end up surviving due to the early detection of the disease and suitable treatment however mild its chances of survival are.

However the screening procedure may harm the patient in some cases. The PSA test mostly produces a fifty-fifty results that are not certain it may be true or false. These results are mostly brought up due to negative psychological situations such as constant worrying about cancer. Men who undergo biopsy may experience pain, fever, infections, urinary difficulties and bleeding and are required to consult medical help and require constant follow up. The long-term effect of the PSA screening is yet to be fully discovered. Although certain studies carried out have shown that the cancer's mortality reduction rates after the screens are very small.

The effects of the screen detected cancerous growth and the treatment process have been experienced by most men, they occur early and are too persistent and may expose the patient to a little or no risk to a premature death.

Men are constantly exposed to effects that are more than the benefits brought about by the screen tests and treatment procedures. Over treatment as a result of the screen tests and treatment processes cause the men to experience unexpectedly harmful effects that would interfere with the asymptomatic stage of the disease.

Balance between the benefits and detriments of early diagnosis and treatment is necessary in determining if there's a chance of survival for the patient or proves to be detrimental to the prostate tumor due to the constant harm caused by the medical procedures.




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