Nickel J C
CMAJ. 1995 Oct 1;153(7):935-8.
The observation that a family history of prostate cancer significantly increases a man's risk of the disease (see pages 895 to 900 of this issue) highlights many of the ethical, emotional and pragmatic controversies in medical circles concerning the management of this common form of cancer. This editorial describes a patient's personal dilemma when he learns that his brother is dying of prostate cancer, a dilemma that illustrates the potential harms and benefits of early detection and treatment. Current evidence does not justify screening asymptomatic men for prostate cancer, but many Canadian physicians do practise early case detection for some patients with a high risk of the disease. Men with a family history of prostate cancer must be informed by their physicians about the known and unknown risks and benefits of early detection and treatment, before they undergo the cascade of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures associated with prostate cancer.
前列腺癌家族史会显著增加男性患该病的风险（见本期第895至900页），这一观察结果凸显了医学界在这种常见癌症治疗方面存在的许多伦理、情感和实际争议。这篇社论描述了一名患者得知其兄弟因前列腺癌生命垂危时所面临的个人困境，该困境说明了早期检测和治疗的潜在危害与益处。目前的证据并不支持对无症状男性进行前列腺癌筛查，但许多加拿大医生确实会对一些患该病风险较高的患者进行早期病例检测。有前列腺癌家族史的男性在接受与前列腺癌相关的一系列诊断和治疗程序之前，医生必须告知他们早期检测和治疗已知和未知的风险与益处。
