Canadian cancer screening guidelines developed by a national task force are too outdated and putting people at risk, a group of doctors says. Because, in this screening, their cancer is not caught early.
Dr. Urological oncologist and Director of Prostate Cancer Research at the Montreal Cancer Institute. Fred Saad said at an April 15 press conference in Ottawa, “I treat many prostate cancer patients who die because of late diagnosis.”
The Canadian Taskforce on Preventive Health Care, established by Public Health Canada, has developed clinical guidelines to help family physicians and nurses decide whether, when to recommend screening to their patients, and other preventive measures and early detection. Its members include primary care physicians and nurses and specialist physicians. This is what a spokesperson of the task force said in an email.
But Saad and other doctors associated with the Coalition for Responsible Healthcare Guidelines said at a news conference that the task force’s guidelines for breast, prostate, lung and uterine cancer screening are based on outdated research and do not match the opinions of experts in the field. The Coalition for Responsible Healthcare Guidelines held a press conference.
For example, the task force’s recommendation discourages routine prostate specific antigen testing, known as the PSA test, in men who have never had prostate cancer. Saad described this recommendation as impractical and too simplistic. Because the recommendation was made in 2014.
