75: The new 60
By Jackie
A recent recommendation from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force advised physicians to stop routine prostate cancer screening in men aged 75 and over, citing more evidence of harm than benefit for this age group. Essentially, the issue lies within the flawed PSA test, an infamously inaccurate blood test used to detect prostate cancer. This traditional approach to prostate cancer detection harbors an astoundingly high false positive rate of nearly 75%, leading to unnecessary biopsies that inherently generate significant anxiety for patients and often cause major side effects like impotence and incontinence. In addition, several studies have shown that most prostate tumors grow so slowly, they never actually seriously threaten lives within this age group. It’s no wonder the task force has asked physicians to eliminate PSAs for this age group – it’s a lot more than Grandpa bargained for at 75.
That said, one could argue, 75 is simply not what it used to be. Today’s 75-year-old man is vibrant and active, often enjoying a significantly longer life span than once ago. As such, is it fair to deny a 75-year-old man good care by ceasing prostate cancer detection methods that could potentially save his life? With the PSA’s infamously poor track record, perhaps the answer lies in new, innovative, effective detection methods. For instance, Ikonisys, a next-generation diagnostics company, is currently developing an early, more accurate screening test that identifies circulating tumor cells present in the blood. The sample is placed on a slide and analyzed by Ikonisys’ breakthrough, fully-automated, digital microscopy system which aims to detect “the one cell in a million” that matters. According to a recent article in the British Journal of Cancer, this method has proven to be the closest and most practical solution to prostate cancer detection yet. Innovations like this one show great promise with the potential to reshape the industry.
While we eagerly await these new technologies, I encourage today’s 75-year-old man to engage in discussions with your physician on the appropriate choices to best protect your individual health. In the meantime, continue embracing your youth and proving that 75 is the new 60!
Add comment August 6th, 2008
