Prostate screening subject needs clarifying

I don’t like to make mistakes. I’m a little neurotic and obsessive (yes, I’ll seek treatments soon) about not having errors in my articles. If the error was in spelling or grammar, I’d just sweep it under the carpet. But, I have to tell you that there was a misstatement in last week’s article that I strongly feel needs to be clarified.

Although I mentioned that there is controversy about PSA screenings for prostate cancer, it appeared that I endorsed an annual screening. My intention was to endorse annual physicals, but didn’t state it well. I apologize.

I received two emails, one from a registered nurse and the other from local physician, Scott Dunn. Both pointed out the article that appeared in the Spry section of last Wednesday’s Bee regarding prostate cancer and PSA screening which if you read both that and my column may have left you a little confused.

In my article I quoted urologist Alexie Wedmid, MD, “Screening for prostate cancer through a digital rectal exam and prostate specific antigen (PSA) can help detect the disease in its early stages.”

Dr. Dunn wrote, “National evidence-based guidelines now recommend against both for average men. As of May 2012, the United States Preventive Service Task Force ‘concludes that many men are harmed as a result of prostate cancer screening and few, if any, benefit.

“A better test and better treatment options are needed. Until these are available, the USPSTF has recommended against screening for prostate cancer.’ ”

Dunn said that even more recently the American Urological Association has written, “The panel does not recommend routine screening in men between ages 40 to 54 years at average risk.

“The panel strongly recommends shared decision-making for men age 55 to 69 years that are considering PSA screening, and proceeding based on a man’s values and preferences.

“The panel does not recommend routine PSA screening in men age 70+ years or any man with less than a 10 to 15 year life expectancy.

“The American College of Physicians and the American Urological Association are now saying if men decide to be screened after consulting with their doctor and understanding all the risks it should be done no more than every two years,” Dunn continued.

So, when to accept the “expert’s” advice and when to have a serious dialogue with your trusted medical practitioner shouldn’t be confusing. Dr. Dunn cautions against relying on an expert who has biases and recommends focusing on “what the evidence tells us.”

The evidence is whether or not you’re suffering from symptoms that could indicate a condition that needs medical attention. Men under 50 suffering from a burning sensation when urinating or an urgent need to urinate more frequently along with feeling tired may be suffering from prostatitis.

Or, if you’re more than 50 years old and experiencing problems urinating, it may be benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There are treatment options for these problems and your one-on-one with your practitioner will determine which to take.

So, the bottom line is to see your doctor right away if something doesn’t seem right to you down there. And if you can’t urinate at all, there’s blood in your urine or it’s painful to urinate get medical attention immediately.

Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on Bonner General Hospital’s Foundation Board. She can be reached at 264-4029 or kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.