Prostate cancer tests

Despite the advantages that Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing has to offer, men not displaying any symptoms associated with prostate cancer do not have to get the PSA test. Although the PSA test is beneficial for men who have a history of prostate cancer in the family or are displaying its symptoms, doing the tests on people that do not meet these criteria is not recommended as it could be a waste of capital and putting the individual under unnecessary stress (Jacobson, 2013).

Some of the risks associated with PSA include putting patients through treatments that expose them to side effects such as bowel dysfunction, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction (MFMER, 2015). The test can also make patients anxious and confused about the results forcing them to live in fear that they have contracted Prostate cancer as most people consider it to be a life threatening disease. While PSA test have reduced the number of people who die from Prostate cancer, the number is not high enough to warrant the cost that patients have to incur when undergoing the tests. In the case of families with no history of Prostate cancer or any symptoms associated with the disease, PSA test become a waste of money and this can be seen as a downside (MFMER, 2015). The risks therefore outweigh the benefits and men with no symptoms should not take the PSA test.

PSA tests are ideal for men aged between 40 and 70 years and men prone to contracting prostate cancer (Jacobson, 2013). Since men in this age bracket and those with a history of the disease in the family or display its symptoms are the ones likely to contract the disease, the decision to get the test solely lies on the individual. Patients must therefore discuss their risk factors with registered nurses and their families before deciding whether to take the test. Nurses must therefore ensure that patients know everything they need about PSA tests and its impact on the control of Prostate cancer (Jacobson, 2013).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Jacobson, J. (2013). “Navigating the PSA screening dilemma”. American Journal of Nursing,   113(1), 19-21. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000425741.91354.c4

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, (2015) “Prostrate cancer screening:  Should you get a PSA test?” retrieved from, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-          conditions/prostate-cancer/in-depth/prostate-cancer/art-20048087