Dr. Gomella on Current Perspectives on Prostate Cancer Screening

Leonard Gomella, MD, physician, professor, and chair of the Department of Urology at Thomas Jefferson University and director of the Kimmel Cancer Center Network, discusses the current perspectives on screening for prostate cancer.

Controversy remains on screening for prostate cancer, as the United States Preventative Services Task Force advises that men should not be screened. Gomella says that although practitioners see a positive impact on men who screen for the disease, they regularly fend off criticism that screening leads to overtreatment and overdiagnosis.

Therefore, he advises that screening efforts should be focused on younger, healthier men. Other factors to take into consideration include life expectancy and overall health of patients. Furthermore, Gomella adds, screening for prostate cancer has led to decreases in mortality and in metastatic disease.