Sir, – I noted with interest the report on faulty prostate cancer testing kits at Mayo General Hospital and the Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown (Home News, September 11th). I am concerned this will serve only to distract from a more important concern regarding the health of men in Ireland and the health service in general.
I was amazed to see that there had been almost 13,000 tests carried out in Mayo over the course of one year. Why? I assume that many, if not the majority of these men were well and had the test done as a “screening test”. We know, however, that screening for prostate cancer does not reduce mortality from prostate cancer. It is not recommended as a routine screening test in the UK and routine screening by PSA has even been withdrawn in the US. There are well-known disadvantages to screening: overdiagnosis, overtreatment and considerable treatment-related harmful effects. The question then must be, who benefits from routine PSA screening? Not the patient, I suggest. – Yours, etc,
Dr JJ KELLIHER,
Prospect Medical Group,
Westgate Road,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
England.