The results of the study were released this week from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial and showed that there was no difference between annual screening or routine care concerning a reduction in deaths from the disease.
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis conducted the study at 10 sites and involved men aged 55 to 74 who either received annual PSA tests or screened for the disease at their doctor's recommendation.
At the end of the 10-year study, it was found deaths from prostate cancer were very low in both groups, but didn't differ.
"The important message is that for men with a life expectancy of seven to 10 years or less, it is probably not necessary to be screened for prostate cancer," said Dr. Gerald Andriole, lead author and principal investigator of the study.
More than 186,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and nearly 29,000 will die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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