I've been telling my patients for the last few years that PSA testing is useless. [Note: screening PSAs, that is]. The Ontario .gov pays for any test I want (almost) but has refused to pay for PSAs, mostly because the evidence doesn't point to it being all that helpful a test.
For those that don't know, if you separate out people who have Prostate CA in two groups: (1) who were screened, (2) those that were never screened, you'll find that the people whom had no PSA testing did just as well as those who didn't bother. I suppose one outcome measure is that the patients who were screened knew they had cancer longer. Not exactly a great test.
Oh, and the guy who invented the PSA test, now admits, it is no longer useful.
I've told my patients (after the finger test), that a good lab test will come .... and it looks like it is ...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=69099
I've banned the PSA from my office.
No prostate screening until the new test.
Other than my nubby "exam".