Prostate Cancer: The Pitfalls of Over-Testing and Over-Treatment

The medical response to the Covid pandemic has underscored the need for patients to conduct their own research into health issues that affect them. This is because obtaining a second or even third opinion from doctors may not be sufficient as they could potentially be misinformed or biased. This issue is not unique to the Covid pandemic but has been present in the medical field for a long time.

Prostate Cancer Testing and Treatment: A Case Study

A clear illustration of this issue can be seen in the recent history of prostate cancer testing and treatment. The misuse of the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, similar to the misuse of the PCR test in the Covid pandemic, has led to harmful treatments for patients. Two notable books on this subject are Invasion of the Prostate Snatchers by Dr. Mark Scholz and Ralph Blum, and The Great Prostate Hoax by Richard Ablin and Ronald Piana. Ablin, the inventor of the PSA test, has become a strong critic of its widespread use for diagnosing prostate cancer.

The Dangers of Mandatory PSA Testing

Many institutions mandate yearly PSA tests, providing a lucrative business for urologists who perform biopsies and prostatectomies on patients with PSA test numbers above a certain level. However, Ablin argues that routine PSA screening does more harm than good and that the medical personnel involved in prostate screening and treatment have caused harm to millions of American men. During the approval hearings for the PSA test, the FDA was aware of its problems and dangers. The test has a 78% false positive rate and an elevated PSA level can be caused by factors other than cancer, making it an unreliable test for prostate cancer. Despite these issues, the PSA test was approved with conditions, which were subsequently ignored.

The Influence of Pharmaceutical Companies

The influence of pharmaceutical companies on the medical device and drug approval process was evident even then. Dr. Marcia Angell, in an editorial for the Journal of the American Medical Association, wrote about the control pharmaceutical companies have gained over the evaluation of their products and how they manipulate research to make their drugs appear better and safer.

Understanding Prostate Cancer

While a cancer diagnosis can cause significant anxiety, prostate cancer develops much slower than other cancers and often does not pose an immediate threat to life. In most cases, patients with prostate cancer do not die from it, regardless of whether they receive treatment or not. Studies indicate that treatments like radiation and surgery reduce mortality in men with Low and Intermediate-Risk disease by only 1% to 2% and by less than 10% in men with High-Risk disease.

The Risks of Prostate Surgery

Despite the significant risks and little proven benefit, prostate surgery is still widely recommended by doctors. The procedure carries various risks, including death and long-term impairment. According to Dr. Scholz, about 1 in 600 prostate surgeries results in the patient's death. A much higher percentage of patients suffer from incontinence and impotence after surgery, which can have a significant psychological impact.

Bottom Line

The persistent overtreatment mindset in the urology world, as criticized by Dr. Scholz, has led to unnecessary suffering for many men due to excessive PSA screening. This situation is reminiscent of the Covid pandemic, which has been an even more dramatic case of medical overkill. It is essential for new medical technologies entering the market to have proven benefits over the ones they replace. This is particularly relevant in the current scenario where people are being urged to receive the next-generation mRNA Covid vaccine. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think there is a need for more transparency and patient education in the medical field? Share this article with your friends and let us know your views. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.