Men: Don’t Be Confused by Headlines Concerning PSA-Based Screening

Life Extension - Stay Healthy, Live Better [Life Extension](.HTML?D=2017-04-18) Dear Life Extension Supporter: Since widespread screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing was initiated in the 1990s, mortality rates for prostate cancer have plummeted. That occurred because a rising PSA can serve as an early cancer detection tool and better enables curative treatment. In 2012, the United States Preventive Services Task Force made a proclamation against PSA screening for most men. Life Extension® vehemently objected and wrote scathing rebuttals describing the preventable deaths from prostate cancer that would occur if aging men were dissuaded from having annual PSA blood tests. On April 11, 2017, the United States Preventive Services Task Force released a draft statement that revised their 2012 recommendation against the use of prostate-specific antigen as a screening blood test for prostate cancer. This group now says PSA screening's benefits outweigh the risks for men between the ages of 55–69 years and point out the option of "watchful waiting" as a factor in changing their position. While this is a welcome turnaround, it writes off men once they reach age 70 and fails to acknowledge prostate cancer risk in men starting at age 40. It also uses the term "watchful waiting" which is now obsolete because there is a better option called "active surveillance" whereby a man with a rising PSA can initiate dietary and lifestyle changes to lower his PSA. As it relates to the "average" man over age 70, the United States Preventive Services Task Force may be correct in as much as the majority of Americans who fail to proactively protect their health are usually in bad shape around age 70. That means they are likely to die of something else before their prostate cancer becomes clinically relevant. As a reader of Life Extension Magazine®, YOU are not a typical aging American man. You take steps to delay premature aging and are likely biologically younger than your chronologic age. PSA screening is thus an essential component of your longevity program because prostate cancer is outrageously prevalent in men as they mature past 55 years. For those concerned about diagnostic and treatment side effects, there are newer techniques acknowledged by the United States Preventive Services Task Force that make side effects less likely. As reported in the [June 2016](.HTML?D=2017-04-18) issue of Life Extension Magazine®, there are now curative treatments available for prostate cancer that are relatively side-effect free. We also reported in the [June 2016](.HTML?D=2017-04-18)issue about published findings showing that altering one's diet can enable PSA levels to decline and also markedly reduce prostate cancer incidence. PSA blood tests are widely available and we encourage all men over age 40 to have them done annually. If you want a comprehensive set of blood tests that includes PSA and dozens of other correctable longevity markers, our [Male Panel](.HTML?D=2017-04-18) is available now at the sale price of $199. You can order this test by calling 1-800-208-3444 (24 hours) or by [clicking here](.HTML?D=2017-04-18). We'll send you a list of drawing stations in your area where you can have this test done at your convenience. We are grateful the United States Preventive Services Task Force made a partial turnaround on their guidelines for PSA screening. I predict this "committee" will make further revisions as an epidemic of prostate cancer emerges because of their 2012 guidelines that discouraged men from having this lifesaving (PSA) blood test performed. For longer life, William Faloon, Co-Founder Life Extension (1980) P.S. To read a more technical report on the United States Preventive Services Task Force new guidelines that reverses their 2012 position, [click here](.HTML?D=2017-04-18). This offer expires June 12, 2017. IND701E Life Extension 3600 W Commercial Blvd | Fort Lauderdale FL 33309 Copyright © 2017 Life Extension® All Rights Reserved. If you do not wish to receive these emails, please [click here](.HTML?D=2017-04-18) or copy & paste the following URL into your web browser's address bar: