New research suggests surge in incurable prostate cancer from lack of early screening

A surge in the rate of incurable prostate cancer cases could be a sign to rethink Canada’s stance on screening for one of the most common diseases for men, according to new research.

The new study , published in Current Oncology , looked at decades of prostate cancer cases and deaths. It found rates of late-stage cancers have gone up while mortality rates — which had been dropping for years — have levelled off.

“Although we couldn’t tell who was screened, the sheer number of cases allows us to draw some conclusions about what happens when you screen or don't screen,” said Dr. Anna W ilkinson, lead author and family physician with the University of Ottawa.

But some cancer doctors disagree with how the data has been interpreted and maintain that the screening tool — known as a prost