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A recent survey in Victoria has found that a high proportion of both male doctors and men in the general community have screening tests for prostate cancer- even though the test isn't a reliable indicator for the disease. One unsurprising phenomenon in health is that scientific evidence often doesn't change our behaviour. A lot of us eat fatty steaks, put butter on our toast, swallow vast amounts of synthetic vitamins, take herbs with goodness knows what in them, even though we know they're not good for us. We undergo investigations that medical authorities frown upon. Even doctors do it. A recent survey in Victoria has found that a high proportion of both male doctors and men in the general community have screening tests for prostate disease. The test is a test for Prostate Specific Antigen - PSA - a blood test where the levels can be high in prostate cancer. The trouble with the PSA test is that high levels don't necessarily mean there's cancer and low levels don't necessarily mean there isn't. In addition, since no-one really knows which early treatment of prostate cancer makes a difference, the official line is to discourage PSA screening. Despite this, the Victorian survey found that about a half of the male population aged between 50 and 70 - medical and non medical - had had themselves tested. Most doctors were having it done for reassurance but there was doubt about whether the non-medical men were properly informed about the test. Given the male market has shunned the evidence and wants prostate testing, the authors concluded that better ways are needed to help men make informed decisions.
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