Does the PSA test for prostate cancer save lives? New data reverse gold-standard findings
-
-
Bluesky
-
-
-
-
-
X
Prostate cancer (cells, artificially coloured) affected 1.5 million people worldwide in 2022.Credit: Dr Gopal Murti/Science Photo Library
Does prostate-cancer screening with the common ‘PSA’ blood test save lives? The Cochrane, an influential group renowned for its gold-standard medical reviews, has previously addressed that question twice, and twice the answer was ‘no.’
Now, data from nearly 800,000 people has prompted a U-turn. A Cochrane review published today1 suggests that testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) “likely reduces the risk of dying” from prostate cancer – and without increasing the likelihood of negative side effects caused by prostate biopsies or prostate cancer treatment.
Early-onset cancer fuels calls for wider screening — but at what cost?