/
1x
Advertisement

True North Strong Free. Subscribe today.

Routine prostate screening shows no benefit: study

Testing will pick up the disease, but doesn’t affect overall death rates
Add Maclean's(opens in a new tab)

According to a new study, routine prostate cancer screening doesn’t help people live longer, Reuters reports. The analysis, published in the journal BMJ, looked at the best available data on a topic that has been controversial, as several medical associations discourage screening in men 75 or older, but say there isn’t enough evidence to make widespread recommendations for younger men. Many doctors continue to test for the disease. According to this study, screening will pick up 20 cases for every 1,000 men screened, but the practice doesn’t change overall death rates or the odds that men would die from prostate cancers.

Reuters

Get the Best of Maclean’s straight to your inbox.

Sign up for news, commentary and analysis. Join 60,000+ Canadian readers.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.