Prostate cancer risk increases by 45% among men who share one troubling behavior

Researchers are warning that men who regularly dodge prostate cancer screening appointments are 45% more likely to die from the disease. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, according to UC San Francisco (UCSF). But if screening programs are introduced on a national scale — particularly those that measure levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood — they could give men earlier access to treatment, experts say.They would thus have a better chance of being cured, according to reporting by news agency SWNS and others. Screening can also prevent costly treatments associated with advanced prostate cancer.That’s according to data from the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).The study collects information from seven European nations — Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain.It is said to be the world’s largest prostate cancer screening study, said SWNS.Long-term data from this entity consistently shows that PSA screening programs can lead to a 20% reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer.Now, an analysis of 20-year follow-up data from the ERSPC is the first to look at the link between the consistent decline of screening invitations and men’s risk of dying from this type of cancer.It reveals a “stark contrast” that emphasizes the potential consequences of screening avoidance.Researchers from Erasmus MC Cancer Institute at the University Medical Centre in the Netherlands led the analysis, said SWNS.Of the 72,460 men invited to partake in the screenings, around one in six were non-attenders and skipped every single appointment.That group had a 45% higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared with those who attended screening appointments, according to the findings.

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