A Friend of Yours Has Just Turned 40 and He

question 31

Multiple Choice

A friend of yours has just turned 40 and he is asking you whether or not he should have a PSA test done as part of his annual physical exam. What would you tell him?

• A) Definitely yes, because along with a rectal exam, PSA is likely to prevent prostate cancer.
• B) Yes, because along with treatment, his chances of surviving prostate cancer will be greatly increased.
• C) No, because current research shows that a positive PSA test does not correlate at all with prostate cancer.
• D) You should tell him to look at the research literature and have a discussion with his physician about the relative risks versus potential benefits of PSA screening.

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Definitions:

Primitive Vertebrate

Early or simple organisms in the vertebrate category, such as fish or amphibians, that have developed basic spinal structures.

Lower Mammals

A term sometimes used to refer to mammals that are considered less evolved or complex in comparison to higher mammals such as primates.

Survival Functions

Mathematical functions used in statistics to estimate the likelihood that a subject will survive past a certain time.

Association Areas

Regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate information from various sensory inputs for complex processes like thinking, learning, and memory.