GOP Candidate Chris Collins: 'People Now Don't Die From Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer'

[ElizabethB]

41. Okay in Baby steps

My whole point is that I think men should be routinely screened for Prostate Cancer. It is 100% treatable if they can catch it within the prostate because most cases are slow moving and they can simply keep monitoring it with the PSA test. Many times men will end up dying of some other cause in these cases. However, if it spreads outside...its a death sentence. My dad didn't catch it...3 of my relatives did. He's the only one that is dying.

It's a simple blood test and it's not risky. If you tested positive you would decided with your doctor as to what treatment to pursue (if any).Sometimes they just do "watchful waiting"...which means they keep giving you the PSA test to see how fast it is growing and where its going. Why wouldn't you want the knowledge?? And yes, sometimes the test gives "false positives" but in that case, they simply recommend you to take another one and they start measuring the changes. Most importantly, its the best and only test of its kind that we have to date. Were you aware that there was not one urologist on that "expert panel" but the majority of urologists disagree with the panels decision? By eliminating the test you are saying...its okay to let some men die because they will only find out once they exhibit physical symptoms (it likely has matastazied). It is cheaper at this point though! (They die quickly).

The USPTF gave routine PSA testing a "grade D" . However once someone is actually diagnosed with prostate cancer or is being treated then they recommend it. If you can't screen for it anymore, presumably you will be diagnosed once you are exhibiting physical symptoms (it has likely metastasized).

The Oklahoma BCBS website that you showed me indicates they (along with the ACA) cover services and items given a grade A or B.

Then they list "prostate screening" as a covered service.

It's an exclusionary provision. They do cover PSA testing for some men (men that already have physical symptoms of prostate cancer or are being treated for it already). It's a risk/loss analysis. They've decided it's okay to let a certain number of men die from it rather than screen people which is expensive. Apparently you are okay with it too?! Hope you are never forced to change your mind on that line of thinking! And hey, the chairman of the USPSTF is a pediatrician and she disagrees with the American Urologist Association and American Cancer Society. I never thought to ask my child's doctor about these issues! Who knew!