The Great Prostate Hoax: How Big Medicine Hijacked the PSA Test and Caused a Public Health Disaster

This book is a must read for every man over the age of 40. This narrative provides convincing evidence that inconclusive tests are being used by the medical profession to justify unnecessary treatment recommendations. The more you know about testing procedures and medical conditions, the safer you will be. Educate yourself by understanding the way money and profit margin drives the huge medical establishment in America.

I'm giving all 5 stars to this book because it is written for a regular guy like me about something very personal (my prostate). Easy to read, easy to understand, easy to follow. I have no problems with my prostate...yet. I saw the title and started reading and couldn't stop. Dr Ablin, the discoverer of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) in 1970, has been fighting a long, and losing, battle against Big Pharma and the FDA to correct the flawed and, IMO, criminal approach these doctors and their corporations take towards men over the age of 50 and their prostates. According to what I read in this book, we are nothing more than cash cows for these insensitive butchers. According to Dr Ablin's quoted statistics, about 49 of 50 men are being misdiagnosed and mistreated as a result of the PSA assay, which does not indicate the presence of cancer. Many people are enriching themselves with this test on an unsuspecting population numbering over 30 million. The book opens with the following: "For the countless millions of men and their families who have suffered needlessly because of the misuse of the PSA test." The doctor makes his case very effectively and believably. Others here have complained that the important information in the book could have been condensed to a pamphlet or an article in a magazine. Maybe. Ablin has used many formats to get his message out to the people who need to hear it. People like you and me who have not had medical training and do not often read medical pamphlets. Its a silly notion that a subject of this weight should be confined to a pamphlet entrusted to the staff of your primary physician to push into your hand as you leave the office. This subject, considering the lifelong efforts of Dr. Ablin to trumpet his concerns, deserves at least one book, if not more than one. If you have any concerns about the health of your prostate, read this book and then challenge your doctor before he wheels you into a room to cut out your prostate and possibly condemn you to living out your life wearing diapers and pumping up your penis.

This book is great! I am a physician and have been advising people not to have biopsies since 2004 even when they have high PSA levels and there is an exam that completely makes the Prostate Biopsy unnecesary. I read that book and verified what I have seen on my patients during years The first thing to clarify is that having a high PSA does not mean a biopsy is necessary. And that this book states A prostate specific antigen or PSA is a protein that is produced in the prostate. Determining its concentration in the blood is an indication of diseases in the male genitourinary organs. A large number of diseases in these organs raise the PSA concentration in the blood and cancer of the prostate is only one of these. The PSA rises with prostatic hypertrophy, urinary and prostatic infections, sexual activity, rectal stimulation such as in transrectal ultrasounds, significant intestinal constipation or diarrhea, large hemorrhoids, a rectal examination, varicocele, orchitis, etc. As a result, it is not useful on its own in diagnosing prostate cancer or any other prostatic complaint. A high PSA should not be considered to be an indicator of cancer of the prostate much less an indication that a biopsy should be done on the prostate. There are many conditions besides prostate cancer that heighten the PSA, being the most frequent urinary infections, tumors, cysts, stones, sexual activity, transrectal exams and mainly the prostate biopsy. Cancer of the prostate has been detected in men with a PSA concentration that is lower than 2.0 ng/ml. These cases account for at least 21% of the total diagnoses of prostate cancer. These data raise doubts about the use of an arbitrary PSA threshold to select the patients that will be subjected to a biopsy. The PSA rises as a result of genitourinary diseases. Its elevation does not indicate cancer, let alone a need for a biopsy. It only indicates the presence of genitourinary diseases. The C.M.P. - Prostate detects all of the known causes of an elevated prostate antigen (PSA). Treating said causes reduces the PSA. Thus, if the PSA has dropped after the treatment, there is no need for concern. Read this book and you will surely look for a second opinion when they ask you to have a prostate biopsy

I just finished reading this book and found it hard to stop reading it. I highly recommend that any men with BPH and prostate issues seeing a urologist get this book and read it! You need the facts before making important decisions and this book delivers facts and important information. I can't tell you the number of men I have met in my business that probably had unnecessary biopsies and prostatectomies with possibly incontenance and impotence! Ask about a prostate MRI and be cautious about the PSA test.

Choices and decisions are best made with adequate, factual information. This book provides unique insights, logical and valid arguments why a man considering any treatment (biopsy based on PSA, chemo, radiation or radical removal) for his prostrate, should consider all their options, thoroughly. As the saying goes, “Most men will die with prostrate cancer, not from it.” Obviously if you are in the unlucky group of folks with a fast-growing cancer; odds are not in your favor with or without treatment and the exercise of “saving/extending one’s life,” at huge physical/emotional costs have to be measured. Having worked as a bereavement counselor at hospice for fifteen years, supporting family members after their loss; many loved ones second-guessed the levels and extent of care exhausted to save their husband, brother, dad or grandfather. “We lost so much time trying to save them, we lost that time just being together.” The bizarre issues surrounding treatments of prostrate cancer is the lack of statistical proof that the procedures actually extends the life for 95% of those whom undergo procedures. “You will never be fully erect again. You may be incontinent the rest of your life. Chemo, hormone/erasing, radiation may have unintended and unforeseen negative impacts on your entire body. You may become depressed and may never feel like the man you are or used to be.” Hearing that might get your attention! And if your doctor/surgeon does not clearly share those things with you; I’d consider seeking medical care, elsewhere. You cannot put it back. “You’re young, so much more life in front of you. Why risk it? Get it out!” No doubt the impulse for a quick, decisive action to save your life makes sense. Your loved ones will support “moving forward, too” But you alone will live and/or die with the choices you make. Quality of life is just as important to me as, living another day. There are a plethora of stories supporting choices seeking treatment without complications and success, but they are met with heart-wrenching tales of things going bad and only getting worse, and worse. I am already married. I don’t need to develop a new twenty year relationship with a urologist. This book opens up awareness and presents options to the reader often not presented or advocated up front within the medical community. As uncomfortable and scary as this conversation may be for men, each man deserves knowing and understanding the realities, risks and benefits before making decisions that could alter his life negatively and sadly, unnecessarily. Good luck and good health! Both are too often, closely intertwined.

As he points out, having discovered it, PSA is a prostate specific antigen, and NOT a cancer specific antigen. Its present in all prostates, healthy or not. ANOTHER INSTANCE of true info being OVERRIDDEN BY PROFIT Read this. Save yourself the MISERY of letting your primary care physician FEED YOU TO THE MONEY PIPELINE and you end up INCONTINENT AND “IMPOTENT” for no reason when you would have been just fine.

Besides reading this book you must read OVERDIAGNOSED as it will make things clearer to you big time. That books covers PROSTATE CANCER and the PSA test too. I am going to keep this review simple. I have done loads of research and read this book twice which made a HUGE difference in my life.If you already received treatment, most of what is in this book will not make you happy nor would you want to believe it. It needs to read BEFORE any treatment decisions are made based on the PSA test, which is NOT a test for diagnosing cancer in itself. The higher the PSA the higher the risk of cancer, but there is NO safe low PSA value. Plus most don't die from it.Of course others could. I fired my urologist and got another after reading this book based upon what he said and what my research, especially this book, taught me. I also told my GP what I though about his recommendation sending me to him Let me put it this way, YOU ARE IN DANGER if you don't understand this test (and likely many more that will come in the near future). If you are a SHEEP and just believe everything told to you, then good luck. I am personally verified fine, but almost fell into the machine that is harming men and it makes me sick what the FDA and medical community have done with this test and the money making system from it (not that is is unique in the medical world). It is clear to me when this test can be helpful and what it means and I know how to make judgments related to it. If there was any book or any thing I'd recommend, it is this book and OVERDIAGNOSED more than anything book or thing I ever bought. Before I go, think about this, someone with a PSA of 0 can have prostate cancer, another with 10 not, and there are many reasons for a higher PSA score which needs to figured out first. The PSA test shows how much of the PSA from the prostate is in the blood stream, that's it, not why. My first urologist looked me in the eye and said "The PSA level is everything." Which in fact by science is NOT. After reading this book and OVERDIAGNOSED you will be better able to do further research and understand that much of the so-called facts out there are by the people who have gained and are gaining by this prostate business. Recently the facts are getting more carefully worded because now the cat is out of the bag, but much older things out there still are very dangerous. I want to say in closing that you need to be educated in this. Unfortunately 3 % are going to die from PC no matter what right now,just bad luck, and you can't hide from the facts. But it is more likely most will never die from it. And worse still no one has a real good test (new ones have not been proven) and the cancer is not well understood and there is no real cure (You need to understand what cure actually means). There is NO definitive answer for anyone out there so you won't find one. But by reading this book and OVERDIAGNOSED you will be better educated to make the right decision for you based on your facts and the truth about this. Please do yourself a favor and buy this book and OVERDIAGNOSED. Read in any order. Don't be misled by those who are profiting, or unfortunately those had treatment and need to believe what they did since the damage was already done to them mentally and physically. Many also have been saved and are vocal and that is understandable,but the many more who had unneeded treatment you do not hear from, it is too late for them. Simply, you need to know what this test really means. Don't panic, calm down, and get the facts. I am not saying ignore it or not get a test, just know what it really means and don't be over-impressed with medical organizations that get funded and /or their members by those who profit. It is more standard procedure for a slightly elevated (based on the arbitrary cut-off value) PSA score for a GP to send you to a urologist who might not work on finding out why, but to immediately do a biopsy again and again...There will be those who will tell you not to read this book, and I understand why, and fully respect it, but no place else in any book anywhere is the history and information presented. Read all you can, including what I and other wrote and realize the facts are not as simple as may be presented. I wish everyone the best. It is better to read this book before the issue becomes part of you life, if possible. What I have said and others in itself is not enough, read the book and OVERDIAGNOSED, then reading other information can be done with an eye out for what is true and what isn't and the unknowns.

Having just dodged a ride on the medical train from PSA test to biopsy to radical prostatectomy, this book made it clear that my decision to wait was correct. Dr Ablin invented the PSA test as a tool to monitor prostate cancer in men who had been treated for the disease. It was never meant to be used as a universal screening tool. Ablin shows how Big Urology uses the PSA test to herd unsuspecting men onto the money train from biopsy to prostatectomy, which can lead to incontinence and impotence. Ablin shows that the fear of cancer leads men down the path and that urologists use this fear as a money making tool. The fact is that most men by their mid 60’s have prostate cancer, which is very slow growing. Most men will eventually die of something else. If you’re dealing with prostate issues, you owe it to yourself to read this important book.

An excellent expose on one of the biggest rip-offs and, more importantly, health and happiness destroying rackets in our medical system. Buy this if you know anyone who is undergoing prostate diagnosis and needs an independent view of what is going on.

Leider ist das Buch nur in English erhaeltlich.. Der Entdecker des PSA Molekuels Richard Ablin beweist dass PSA kein Tumormarker ist, sondern dass dieses Enzym in der Prostata eines jeden Zeugungsfaehigen Mannes zur Samenverfluessigung produziert wird. in meinem Blog www.richardriversky.com habe ich meien eigenen Situation nochmals detaillierter beschrieben. Die Werte die meist mit 4ng pro ml bereits als krebsverdaechtig erklaert werden wurden schon vom Hersteller des Tests, der Fa Hybritech als vollkommen willkuerlich bezeichnet. Tausende von Maennern wurden zu einer schmerzhafte Biopsie verleitet und hunderte zu einer Totaloperation der Prostata mit daraus folgender Inkontinenz und Zeugungsunfaehigkeit ueberredet. Fakt ist dass die meisten Maenner mit einem aber nicht wegen eines ( langsam wachsenden ) Prostatakarzinoms sterben.

The book is brilliant and well researched. Professor Richard Ablin was the person who discovered PSA, he did not develop the PSA test because there was no reason to develop it because he said that it is not a prostate cancer test but merely a measure of PSA, the bigger the prostate the higher the PSA, the more a person ages the prostate tends to get larger. The book says the accuracy of the PSA test, transrectal biopsy and gleeson cancer rating is very poor. My urologist discussed with me radiation treatment for prostate cancer based solely on the PSA test even before he had done a biopsy, I was shocked and refused the biopsy and requested an MRI scan, which he refused. He and his predecessor tried on 4 different occasions to make me have a biopsy but I refused and eventually 9 years later I was given an MRI scan, which revealed nothing. I was also influence by the fact that four of my close work colleagues had had their prostates removed after the PSA test etc. If I had not refused the transrectal biopsy would I have ended up having my prostate removed unnecessarily?

I had been convinced by my MD that the PSA was a cancer indicator. Not so, there are other factors to take into account. This is so conforting. Thank you!!!

Un libro que todo hombre debería leer, ofreciendo poderosa e irrefutable información para que cada uno pueda tomar sus propias decisiones respecto al PSA y el cáncer de próstata. Además, se lee como una novela, no puedes parar. Al final, te sentirás tranquilo al poseer información, y también indignado con el desmadre generado a partir del PSA. 100% recomendable.