U.S. Preventive Medicine Supports Testing Older Men For Prostate Cancer

Main Category: Prostate / Prostate Cancer
Article Date: 07 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

U.S. Preventive Medicine, (http://www.USPreventiveMedicine.com), the leader in disease prevention, said today that routine screening and testing of men age 75 and older for prostate cancer can still be appropriate and that doing so can help older men live a longer and healthy life.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force this week recommended that doctors stop routine prostate cancer screening of men older than 75, citing evidence that the benefits of treatment based on routine screening of this age group are small to none and that there is more evidence of harm than benefit.

"While there can be reduced use of prostate screening in the oldest men, due to the often slow growth of prostate cancer, that does not mean it is inappropriate to test for prostate cancer, especially in otherwise healthy older men who are vigorous and appear to be in good health," said Dr. Boyd Lyles, Chief Medical Officer at U.S. Preventive Medicine and a leading authority on preventive medicine. "Without question, the healthier a person is at that age the more benefit can be gained by continuing to be active with detection and prevention efforts."

Dr. Lyles points out that there are various treatment options for prostate cancer, including watchful waiting, with periodic PSA testing, to several types of radiation and surgery.

"I am a strong supporter of periodic PSA and digital exam testing, along with a discussion of all treatment options with the older patient if cancer is found, so that an informed decision about treatment options can be made," said Dr. Lyles.

About U.S. Preventive Medicine

U.S. Preventive Medicine(R), a privately-owned health management company with clients nationwide and the United Kingdom, is focused entirely on disease prevention. The Company offers employers, government agencies and consumers proprietary products that improve health and productivity while reducing healthcare costs. Company products include the first-of-its-kind health benefit, The Prevention Plan(TM), a personalized health management and wellness program delivered online and telephonically; and The Prevention Plan CM(TM), a chronic care management program customized for individuals with existing medical issues. Other services are available through the Center for Preventive Medicine(R) and The Preventive Network(TM), which offer high-tech, early detection screening programs with affiliated physician groups, hospitals and health systems. http://www.USPreventiveMedicine.com and http://www.ThePreventionPlan.com

U.S. Preventive Medicine
http://www.ThePreventionPlan.com