Melville, N.Y., March 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Almost six months after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) stated that men should no longer receive prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood tests as part of routine cancer screening, Advanced Urology Centers of New York (AUCNY) is still adamantly speaking out against this recommendation.
New information, a follow-up of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Fritz Schröder, the lead author of the ERSPC trial. The study shows that the statistical significance for all age groups has improved, with an overall survival advantage of 21% for all who received screening. More importantly, some patients followed for over 10 years had a survival advantage of 38% compared to those patients that did not receive screening.
"This new information further exemplifies the dangers and flaws of the USPSTF's current process and how premature it is to make recommendations based on incomplete, short term analysis," said Dr. Deepak Kapoor, President of Advanced Urology Centers of New York and President of Large Urology Group Practice Association. "Again, this recommendation to forego screening was made by a panel that does not include urologists or oncologists."
In the United States with early screening, the death rate from prostate cancer decreased by nearly 40% while the incidence of prostate cancer has been relatively stable. Dr. Kapoor states that, "The data confirms what clinicians treating this disease know to be true in practice, that we are not detecting more prostate cancer, we are detecting cancer earlier, and saving lives. A decision on how best to test for and treat prostate cancer should be between a man and his doctor, and no government agency should act to deprive men the right to choose their own health care destiny."
Published statistics demonstrate that prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer affecting men in the U.S. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime and despite early detection and treatment, one man dies every 30 minutes from this disease. The incidence and death rate is even higher for African American men. Since there are no symptoms of early prostate cancer, the only way to detect prostate cancer is with aggressive early screening.
"This recommendation needlessly puts into harm's way all the men who are most at risk: those who are underinsured, live in rural areas where health care is not readily available, have a family history of prostate cancer, and particularly African-American men," says Dr. Kapoor. "We urge the public to reach out to their elected representatives to let them know that the adaption of these recommendations places the lives of all men in jeopardy. Or, voice your concerns to USPSTF (http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/contact-uspstf/, or Dr. Virginia Moyer directly, at moyer@bcm.edu)."
Advanced Urology Centers of New York (AUCNY), a division of Integrated Medical Professionals, is comprised of community physicians committed to providing the highest level of medical service and patient care available. With more than 40 locations in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Manhattan, Westchester, Rockland County and The Bronx, AUCNY is the largest urology group practice in the United States, and leading regional provider of urology services. AUCNY physicians represent some of the country's top urologists, many of whom are active in clinical and academic research, participate in postgraduate medical education and lecture internationally on cutting edge breakthroughs in medicine. AUCNY urologists are on staff in most hospitals in the New York Metro region and participate in most insurance plans, including Medicare.
To learn more about Advanced Urology Centers of New York call 516-931-0041 or visitwww.aucofny.com