La Peer Health Systems urologist, Dr. Premal J Desai, comments on the medical benefits and risks that may occur in PSA screening for men 75 years of age and older.
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) May 31, 2012
Recently the United States Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) stated that the potential risks of PSA prostate cancer screenings for men over the age of 75 might out way the potential benefits.
Dr. Premal Desai, a well-respected urologist in Beverly Hills at La Peer Health Systems, feels that men over the age of 75 should not be deprived of the right to be screened.
“Unfortunately the debate about screening for prostate cancer has focused on over treatment and its potential consequences, rather than focusing on which cancers should be treated and which may be able to be safely monitored. The Preventative Task Force preliminary recommendation against PSA screening is based on avoiding potential side effects on treatment,” said Dr. Desai.
Physicians should use judgment with their elderly patients and have an informed discussion with them in order to decide whether or not they wish to be screened. After a meaningful discussion with the patient, Dr. Desai determines if a PSA blood test screening should be administered.
The goal of Dr. Desai’s assessment in screening elderly patients is to focus on detecting aggressive cancers that may affect the quality of life for elderly men before they become symptomatic.
“I do agree that most men age 75 or older will not die of newly diagnosed prostate cancer, but there are a significant number of men who are quite healthy with significant longevity in their family history who may be harboring potentially aggressive disease. These men should be able to make a choice of whether or not they wish to be screened,” explained Dr. Desai.
In treating his patients, Dr. Desai takes in to consideration all possible medical options and discuss thoroughly with this patients to create an individual evaluation.
In addition to Dr. Desai, all of the surgeons at La Peer Health Systems utilize techniques that are cutting edge. La Peer prides itself in providing patients with the most advanced surgical options available.
La Peer Health Systems, located in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles county, focuses on excellence in patient care, offering the most advanced treatments and equipment that the medical world has access to. With 42 doctors across 13 departments, from anesthesiology to urology, La Peer offers comprehensive and widespread medical treatments for all patients.
