When it comes to prostate cancer screening, men simply don’t feel like talking. And the disease could hit when they are between the ages of 40 and 50. There are two tests involved in the screening of prostate cancer; in the first test the digital rectal test is done and in other test, the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is measured in the blood.

If one is detected with prostate cancer in early stage, there are many treatment options. And a recent study has found that it is possible to observe localized, low-risk prostate cancer. so, there’s no requirement of what researchers call ‘overtreatment’.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the use of surveillance for low-risk patients is increasing sharply between 2010 and 2013. It was found that 40% of all cases were making use of the ‘watch and wait’ method over treating prostate cancer aggressively. The number of cases that were monitored between 1990 and 2009 were only at 7-14%.

Since 1990, the increase of watchful waiting has been constant because doctors and patients have become more aware regarding treatments and approach to different stages of prostate cancer.

The authors expect that the study stands against the opposition of screening for prostate cancer is a cause of overtreatment. As per researchers, “Given that overtreatment of low-risk disease is a major driver of arguments against prostate cancer screening efforts, these observations may help inform a renewed discussion regarding early detection policy in the United States”.