PSA Screening Update

Study suggests men with lowest initial PSA levels benefit least from additional screening.
Bloomberg News (9/13, Ostrow) reports that research published in the journal Cancer found that men ages 55 and older who have the lowest baseline levels of prostate-specific antigen "benefit the least from repeating the test." While "the study adds fresh evidence to a debate about how to screen for prostate cancer to catch tumors early while avoiding false positives that trigger unnecessary tests and treatment," some argue that the study needed to follow its subjects for longer to demonstrate benefits.
The CNN (9/13, Hagan) "The Chart" blog reported that Dr. J. Brantley Thrasher, spokesman for the American Urology Association, and the William L. Balk, chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Kansas, said, "This can't be done in a vacuum," adding, "We're getting data that may help us in the future."