What Doctors Haven’t Told You About Prostate Cancer

They’re supposed to have a lengthy chat with you

A recent study revealed that many doctors don’t discuss prostate cancer screening pros and cons with their patients, which is pretty worrying, as we rely on our docs to keep us in the loop, right? Researchers at Brown University found that only one in three men screened with the PSA test discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the test with their doctor. The men who were more likely to undergo testing without being aware of all the pros and cons had low incomes, lacked a high school diploma, were uninsured or were Hispanic. “The most vulnerable men are getting less counseling,” said study co-author Annie Gjelsvik, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown’s School of Public Health, as reported on MedlinePlus. The findings, published online in the journal Urology, have been described as “alarming” by the study authors. This type of cancer in men is more common than breast cancer in women (and here are more prostate cancer facts that might surprise you), so it’s an illness we need to be talking about.