Northern Ireland written question – answered at on 27 February 2006.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to encourage men in Northern Ireland to use health centres that specialise in early detection of prostate cancer.
Current research evidence does not support screening for prostate cancer. The main reason is that the current tests have limited accuracy and so follow up procedures could cause harm to healthy men. Men with prostate cancer symptoms are encouraged to seek early advice from their GP. They may ask for a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. However, to enable them to make an informed decision about the PSA test, they need to know about its limitations and the potential side effects which may occur following surgery, these include incontinence and impotence.
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