Study Finds Providers Use Prostate Cancer Screening Tests, Even When They Provide Little Value to Patients

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men with more than 34,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the American Cancer Society. But guidelines for prostate cancer screening are continually shifting, leading to uncertainty among patients and providers on when and if screening tests should be ordered. In a new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, researchers recently examined prostate screening testing among primary care providers and found that the tests are frequently used, even when they provide little value to patients.