According to Mr. Stiller, the prostate-specific antigen test, a blood test known as the PSA, helped physicians detect the cancer early. Mr. Stiller received testing at the age of 46 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in July 2014. The tumor was surgically removed in September 2014. He has since been in remission.
While the American Cancer Society recommends men should begin using the test once they turn 50, those with a higher risk of prostate cancer, including African American men and men with relations who had been previously diagnosed with prostate cancer, should begin screening at age 45, according to the article.
“This is a complicated issue, and an evolving one,” Mr. Stiller wrote in an essay published online. “But in this imperfect world, I believe the best way to determine a course of action for the most treatable, yet deadly cancer, is to detect it early.”
But Otis Brawley, CMO of the American Cancer Society, said PSA testing is not infallible. For those under the age of 50, the tests may be misleading or inconclusive, meaning men may be diagnosed and unnecessarily treated for cancer, leaving them vulnerable to range of other health issues.
“[Mr. Stiller] hasn’t heard of all of the men who have had negative experiences [with PSA testing]. The tests have bad operating systems,” said Mr. Brawley. “They sometimes miss cancer that needs to be found, and they find cancer that doesn’t need to be found.”
Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men in the U.S. after skin cancer. It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, according to the National Cancer Institute.
More articles on leadership:
2016 Nobel prize in medicine honors Japanese research on how cells degrade, recycle
Martin Shkreli keeps his promise, sells punch to woman for $50k
5 ways smart leaders can ruin companies
