Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Analysis That Prostate Screenings Significantly Reduce Deaths Draws Skepticism
For men who are weighing the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening, a new study strengthens the evidence that testing can reduce deaths from this cancer, something two earlier large landmark clinical trials appeared to reach different conclusions about. (Rabin, 9/4)
An analysis of two influential studies of prostate cancer screening concludes that the much-debated test 鈥渟ignificantly鈥 reduces deaths from the disease, suggesting that current recommendations against routine PSA screening might be steering men away from a lifesaving procedure. The analysis, published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine, drew wildly different reactions, as is often the case with research on PSA screenings. Some experts in cancer screening and statistics said its novel approach was 鈥渙n shaky ground鈥 and used a 鈥渃ompletely unverifiable鈥 methodology that they had 鈥渘ever seen before,鈥 but others praised its 鈥渋ntriguing and innovative approach.鈥 There was one area of agreement, however: 鈥淚 imagine it鈥檚 going to generate some buzz,鈥 said biostatistician Ted Karrison of the University of Chicago. (Begley, 9/4)