Is prostate cancer testing generally a good idea?
This is a very hard question to answer. For some men with a family history of prostate cancer it almost certainly is a very good idea. For other men with a history of some other chronic disease and a short life expectancy, it may well be a very bad idea, because that man may gain little or nothing from treatment and may be taking considerable risk and undergoing much hardship by having treatment. Each man should discuss the benefits and risks of prostate cancer testing carefully with his doctor before deciding to have a PSA test. Ask your doctor to explain to you what will need to be done if that PSA test is positive.
