Should Men Get The PSA Test For Prostate Cancer, To Do Or Not To Do?

PROSTATE CANCER is the most common cancer found in black men. Given those rates, it would seem like a screening test that can catch the disease early would be a major boon to medical care. However, it hasn't been that simple. In Ghana, the leading NGO in the field of prostate cancer awareness - Men's Health Foundation Ghana and its founder Raphael Obu, a prostate cancer expert and Cancer Psychologist with medical sonography background by profession.

In fact, “it's one of the most controversial areas in medicine now,” said Raphael Obu Msc Prostate Cancer, Sheffield Hallam University UK .

Raphael Obu discusses the highly-debated prostate cancer test, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. Raphael Obu is the author of the book “What Everyman must know before & After 40Years-Prostate Health.” A straight talk for blacks and African American Men and their families.

He also holds many certificates in prostate cancer organized by the Prostate Cancer UK.

Two of his academic papers published in the Global Research Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Spring Journals.

The PSA test is a blood test that looks for a specific protein that is only produced by the prostate. The higher the levels of PSA, the more likely the person has prostate cancer. He said

“The PSA test is an organ specific and not tumor specific. The Prostate gland produces PSA for several beneficiary purposes not simply as a response to cancer”.

“It seemed as though it would be the answer to help us identify earlier cancers,” Ralph explained but is rather creating panic, anxiety and fear for Ghanaian men.

The problem is that the majority of tumors are not significant enough to warrant treatment. One study suggested that 40 percent of men who receive a positive test result have a cancer too slow-growing to be deadly. The biopsies, radiation, surgery and other treatments can cause serious side effects, including impotence, incontinence and other complications -- even death.

That's why an expert panel that advises the U.S. government on medical treatment guidelines, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, recommended against healthy, symptom-free men of any age getting the PSA test in May 2012 guidelines. Previously, men over the age of 75 were advised not to get the test.

He said the Melbourne consensus also provided some guidelines for prostate cancer screening test in 2013 conference. The UK also has a policy on prostate cancer screening with the PCRMP; Jamaica also has a policy and called for a national policy on prostate cancer screening in Ghana.

Ralph said what doctors need to do in Ghana is to “screen smart.” He suggested still using the PSA test and then repeating it to reconfirm if a high PSA score is detected. Ralph also a trained Clinical Sonographer by Radford University College Ghana also called on medical professionals to request for Prostate Scan even if PSA test proved Negative.

In some cases, Ralph said, a man might not need a biopsy unless their PSA scores keep increasing or they have significant family history. In other instances, the MRI could help guide doctors to get more accurate biopsies. He also said Doppler ultrasound could play a key role in the near future.

Men's Health Foundation Ghana create awareness on prostate cancer, acts as a prostate cancer support group and believes men deserve better treatment. The foundation has established a free prostate cancer screening and counseling center for men in Dodowa-Akoto House in the greater Accra Region.