Prostate checks in 30s a waste, say GPs

A DOCTORS’ representative has said if a man in his 30s came to his surgery seeking a screening for prostate cancer he would “tell him to get lost,” and that “it was a waste of resources”.

Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) spokesman Dr Niall O'Cléirigh said prostate cancer did not affect men under 50 and to examine anyone below that age limit would be a waste of time.

However, men's cancer specialist Prof John Armstrong, radiation oncologist at St Lukes Hospital, University College Dublin and a member of the Irish Cancer Society's medical committee, disagreed with the ICGP.

"I got checked for prostate cancer in my 40s and I would advise other men to do the same." Cancer experts continually emphasise the fact that early detection improves survival rates. A recent campaign launched by the Irish Cancer Society encouraging men to 'go for an NCT test,' used men in their 30s, including Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey, to promote the campaign.

Professor Armstrong also clashed with the ICGP on attitudes towards a national screening programme for prostate cancer.

While Dr O'Cléirigh said a screening programme would not work because the test for prostate cancer the PSA test does not meet the generally accepted criteria for a screening test, Prof Armstrong said screening in other countries sees a decrease in deaths from prostate cancer.

"A trial was carried out in Canada and while the conduct of the study was not perfect, it did show a reduction in the rate of prostate cancer death among those who had been screened," said Professor Armstrong.