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Prostate cancer on rise, Gundersen urologist believes men need advanced blood test
Test known as a PSA, is no long recommended by government
In 2013 The United States Preventative Task Force, a federal committee, no longer recommended an advanced blood test to check for prostate cancer.
The test is called Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), and Gundersen Health System urologist Marvin Van Every believes the committee’s recommendation not to use it, is causing more people to die from the disease.
“In 2010, three percent of patients our had a PSA over 90, which is basically incurable prostate cancer,” Marvin Van Every said. “In 2013, it was over nine percent.
“So we’ve seen a significant rise in the number of patients being diagnosed.”
The committee said the blood test could lead to further operations with severe complications, and that the risks outweighed the rewards.