Rectal annals draw to a close

Important news for the approaching or over-50 male readers from the AFR (I myself am 47):

The test, known as the DRE, or the digital rectal examination, is likely to be removed from prostate cancer screening procedures in Australia.

These procedures are undergoing a major overhaul. On Thursday, a new set of draft guidelines was released at the World Cancer Congress in Melbourne. They are now open for community and professional consultation.

…For men who have no symptoms of this cancer and who wish to undergo regular testing, the guidelines are unusually clear:

• They should begin at 50;
• They only need a PSA blood test to measure their level of prostate specific antigen;
• They don’t need a rectal test;
• They should have a PSA blood test every two years until 69;
• They will only need a specialist referral if their PSA reading greater than 3 ng/mL.

MB has a more youthful readership than most financial sites but I think we can all appreciate a medical breakthrough of this magnitude.

Now for the pap smear…