Video: Prostate cancer screening

One in six men are diagnosed with prostate cancer.

But there’s an even bigger question mark on whether healthy men should get psa tests to screen for it.

The test does save lives, but for every life saved dozens more are either misdiagnosed or treated needlessly exposing them to harmful side effects.

Two huge new studies back up what experts already knew: that the psa test for prostate cancer may hurt more men than it helps.

Mitch Laurence is a six year prostate cancer survivor, and despite concerns about the psa test, he thinks every man should at least consider it.

“I don’t want to scare anyone away. My only fear is that men will hesitant to test,“ said Laurence.

Most major medical groups don’t recommend routine psa tests in healthy men.

The National Cancer Institute found men who got the psa or a digital rectal exam lived no longer than those who didn’t.

In Europe, screening reduced deaths by 20 percent.

But for every life saved, 47 patients suffered needless biopsies, treatment and side effects like impotence and incontinence.

Prostate cancer can be deadly but not all types are harmful.

Many men live and die with slow-growing cancers that don’t need treatment.

But screening tests can’t tell the difference.

“We desperately need research so that we can do a screening test, identify a man with cancer and be able to say ‘Mr. Smith, you have the kind of cancer that’s never gonna bother you,“ said Dr. Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society.

Researchers are working on it.

More specific blood tests and pin-point imaging for men like mammograms detect breast cancer in women.

“We are very close. We are no more than five years away,“ said Dr. Faina Shtern of AdMeTech Foundation.