You may wonder how getting a test for prostate cancer could have a downside. After all, there's little risk involved in the test itself — it requires simply drawing blood for evaluation in a lab. However, there are some potential dangers once the results are in. These include:
* Worry about false-positive results caused by elevated PSA levels from something other than prostate cancer.
* Invasive, stressful, expensive or time-consuming follow-up tests.
* False reassurance from a PSA test that doesn't reveal cancer (false-negative), leading to a missed diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer that needs treatment.
* Stress or anxiety caused by knowing you have a slow-growing prostate cancer that doesn't need treatment.
* Deciding to have surgery, radiation or other treatments that cause side effects that are more harmful than untreated cancer.
