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Reactions of Potential Jurors to a Hypothetical Malpractice Suit Alleging Failure to Perform a Prostate-Specific Antigen Test

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Michael J. Barry ,
Pamela H. Wescott ,
Ellen J. Reifler ,
Yuchaio Chang  and
Benjamin W. Moulton
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Extract

Screening for prostate cancer with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is controversial, as evidence to date has not demonstrated such screening does more good than harm. While the potential benefit of PSA screening on reducing prostate cancer mortality has not been documented in randomized trials, many risks of PSA screening have been well documented. These risks include a substantially higher risk of a prostate cancer diagnosis over a screenee’s lifetime, false-positive and false-negative test results, possible complications from biopsies done in response to suspicious test results, and substantial risks of side effects from subsequent prostate cancer treatments. Nevertheless, PSA screening is widespread in the United States, and many physicians in a national survey reported supporting routine PSA screening as well as getting PSA tests themselves, despite the lack of evidence.

Type
Independent
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , Summer 2008 , pp. 396 - 402
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2008

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