New research shows that prostate cancer cases are on the rise in California.
A study by UC San Francisco (UCSF) included nearly 388,000 men with prostate cancer between 2004 and 2021.
According to a study published by JAMA, the incidence of cases increased by an average of 6.7% from 2011 to 2021.
Although cases have risen, the mortality rate for prostate cancer fell 2.6% per year from 2004 to 2012, and was higher from 2012 to 2021.
These trends were similar across age, race, ethnicity and regions, researchers found.
According to a UCSF press release, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) halting screening recommendations in 2012 corresponds to changes in PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing guidelines.
The guidelines have been changed to reduce the number of prostate cancer patients treated with “potentially harmful interventions” for non-threatening forms of disease.
According to UCSF, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and is the second leading cause of cancer death.
However, most prostate cancer tumors are low-grade and “never spread” and PSA screenings “do not distinguish between aggressive or non-aggressive tumors, and many men diagnose cancer in the long term It will be released.
“On the other hand, if screening is not performed, we may miss a timely diagnosis of more advanced cancers. These cancers may have been treated normally if discovered early,” UCSF said. pointed out.
“Unfortunately, it could have led to one of the biggest increases in the incidence of far-stage disease,” the researchers said.
The UCSF writes that these findings “reinforce the need for screening that can identify potentially fatal tumors without raising false alarms about what poses no threat to patients.”
“Understanding the best ways to screen for prostate cancer continues to be a challenge for researchers and physicians,” says Erin L. Van Blarigan, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Urology at UCSF. The doctor said in a statement.
“Without screening, the number of men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer – increases rapidly when treatment is less effective.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst at Fox News, called for the need for regular screening as he was not involved in the study.
“[Screenings] It has declined in many areas, including California. The US preventive services task force was recommended for PSA as a regular screening tool. “Not all elevated PSAs automatically mean biopsy, especially as MRI progresses.”
Based on the increase in cases of prostate cancer across all ages, Siegel emphasized the need to “diagnose early for better outcomes.”
Siegel suggested that the increase in cases could be caused by a variety of factors, including the obesity epidemic, ultra-highly processed foods, increased alcohol consumption, and fatty foods.
David R. Wise, MD, PhD, urological oncologist and the services chief of the Genitourinary Medical Oncology program at Nyu Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, also responded to the rise in this case.
“The increase in the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer in California in the 2010s is consistent with reports from others, including the American Cancer Society,” Wise, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. I spoke.
“It probably reflects the aftermath of a decline in screening for prostate cancer. A return to prostate cancer screening could reverse this effect.”
“An optimized screening enhanced by MRI and novel blood-based biomarkers will become available to ensure early detection of men with aggressive cancer, while still allowing unnecessary treatment for men with low-risk illnesses. I try not to spare it,” he added.
Reported by Fox News Digital's Khloe Quill.
