Re: Twitter helped me decide that I’m not for resuscitation
Congratulations to Keith Cass on writing such a thoughtful and helpful article and credit to the BMJ in publishing it. However, until there is balanced reporting on the benefits of prostate cancer screening as opposed to emphasising only its harms, too many UK men will have to go on coping with the consequences of late diagnosis and advanced or metastatic disease for the foreseeable future, not to mention the cost of its treatment to the NHS.
Although the NHS' Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme entitles men aged 50 plus to a PSA test, few GPs are familiar with this and many men requesting the test are refused. Also, outside of the specialist urological press, how often do we see reports on 40-50% reductions in prostate cancer mortality being achieved in longterm screening programmes in Europe.
Furthermore, why do we see so little official publicity being given to world-leading UK trials demonstrating the remarkable advances in diagnosis and the safety of "active surveillance" that are drastically reducing the "harms" of "over diagnosis" and "over treatment" of screen detected prostate cancer in men in the UK? Until there is a better balance of reporting these important urological advances in prostate cancer screening and early diagnosis to GPs, I fear we will continue to lag behind our European neighbours and too many UK men will continue to find themselves in Keith's position manfully battling this common and most pernicious cancer.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
06 September 2018
Chris Booth
Consultant Urologist (retired)
Director, CHAPS Men's Health Charity; Clinical Advisor to the National Federation of Prostate Cancer Support Groups
Rapid Response:
Re: Twitter helped me decide that I’m not for resuscitation
Congratulations to Keith Cass on writing such a thoughtful and helpful article and credit to the BMJ in publishing it. However, until there is balanced reporting on the benefits of prostate cancer screening as opposed to emphasising only its harms, too many UK men will have to go on coping with the consequences of late diagnosis and advanced or metastatic disease for the foreseeable future, not to mention the cost of its treatment to the NHS.
Although the NHS' Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme entitles men aged 50 plus to a PSA test, few GPs are familiar with this and many men requesting the test are refused. Also, outside of the specialist urological press, how often do we see reports on 40-50% reductions in prostate cancer mortality being achieved in longterm screening programmes in Europe.
Furthermore, why do we see so little official publicity being given to world-leading UK trials demonstrating the remarkable advances in diagnosis and the safety of "active surveillance" that are drastically reducing the "harms" of "over diagnosis" and "over treatment" of screen detected prostate cancer in men in the UK? Until there is a better balance of reporting these important urological advances in prostate cancer screening and early diagnosis to GPs, I fear we will continue to lag behind our European neighbours and too many UK men will continue to find themselves in Keith's position manfully battling this common and most pernicious cancer.
Competing interests: No competing interests