My husband's physician asked if he wants a PSA screening as…

You have read correctly that there is much concern about using the PSA as a screening test. And there are several issues. Yes, there can be many false positives. But there is also an issue with the true positives, because many men with prostate cancer have a plodding along type of cancer that will not be life threatening. And while there is a more aggressive type of prostate cancer that is one of the leading causes of death, it is difficult to differentiate between the aggressive and the plodding along cancer when they first start and are limited to the prostate. Since doctors tend to treat all cancers that are found after PSA screening, many men with plodding cancers will undergo treatment that also carries significant potential for side effects.

Because of these issues, the current guidelines do not recommend routine screening for all men. instead, the guidelines recommend that the decision whether to undergo screening should be individualized, after considering the issues noted above. For men that are higher risk or that feel more strongly that they want to do everything possible to find early cancer, then performing PSA screening is appropriate. But many men may choose to not undergo screening.

It is worth noting that the guidelines say that screening is not recommended for men after age 70, and one of the main reasons is that most men over age 70 have the plodding along type of prostate cancer.

So, his doctor is following the guideline in that the doctor is letting him make the decision whether to perform screening.

And from a personal perspective, I am also in the age range for which PSA screening can be considered, and I have decided to not undergo PSA screening, because of the above issues and I am not at high risk.

You are very welcome.