TY - JOUR T1 - A targeted approach reduces prostate cancer-specific (PSA) screening harms while preserving benefits JF - Evidence Based Medicine JO - Evid Based Med SP - 186 LP - 186 DO - 10.1136/ebmed-2014-110018 VL - 19 IS - 5 AU - Amanda Black Y1 - 2014/10/01 UR - http://ebm.bmj.com/content/19/5/186.abstract N2 - Commentary on: Carlsson S, Assel M, Sjoberg D, et al. Influence of blood prostate specific antigen levels at age 60 on benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening: population based cohort study. BMJ 2014;348:g2296.OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer may prevent some men dying from the disease.1 However, had they not been screened, many contemporary men diagnosed with prostate cancer would never have experienced symptoms or died from their cancer. Considering the devastating impact of an unnecessary cancer diagnosis and treatment-associated sequelae, PSA screening as it is currently used arguably results in greater harm than good. Nevertheless, PSA is entrenched in healthcare systems across the globe and, until we identify another test that can accurately discriminate the few potentially fatal malignancies from the many more indolent prostate cancers, PSA screening will likely remain commonplace. As such, strategies to improve the use of PSA screening are critically important to limit harms. Although described as a … ER -