The benefits of screening and local therapy (surgery or radiation therapy) for early prostate cancer remain unclear, and it is not known for certain whether prostate cancer screening saves lives. Because of this uncertainty, NCI, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, is supporting research to learn more about screening for prostate cancer. Currently, researchers are conducting a large randomized clinical trial, called the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, to determine whether screening with PSA tests and DREs reduces the death rate from this disease. The researchers are also assessing the risks of screening. Specifically, men who have an elevated PSA level or a suspicious DRE are more likely to have a biopsy, which is an invasive procedure, and, if the biopsy is positive, the risks of surgery, radiation therapy, and even active surveillance (also called watchful waiting) must be taken into account.
Source: the National Cancer Institute