Quote:
Originally Posted by Taurus
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47505948...h-mens_health/
A top panel of U.S. medical experts has issued a final decision on a long-debated men’s health controversy, concluding that no man of any age should routinely be screened for prostate cancer using the popular PSA test.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force gave the prostate-specific antigen test a grade of D, saying that the risks of population-wide screening outweigh the benefits.
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Seems like urologists are suggesting to start earlier (age 40), screen LESS frequently, and don't treat low-risk patients. Meanwhile, the USPSTF want's to abandon screening altogether for a curable cancer (2nd most-frequent affecting men...). Have to side with the urologists on this one, I think.
Also, re: urologist's income declining based on these guidelides, I'm doubtful that would happen for three reasons: 1) data shows that these recommendations aren't readily adopted by PCPs, 2) medicare will continue to reimburse for screening anyway, and 3) even if screening stopped altogether, the predicted shortage of urologists over the next two decades is enormous. There is a growing excess of patients needing urologic procedures, and urologists will be as busy as they so want to be for the foreseeable future.