The recent revelation of former President Joe Biden’s diagnosis of advanced, aggressive prostate cancer that has metastasized to the bones has caused deep sorrow and concern. A physician with decades of experience treating and researching prostate cancer expressed heartbreak over the news, particularly because the disease could potentially have been detected earlier through timely screening. “His condition could have potentially been diagnosed at an earlier stage, when a cure is possible,” the physician remarked.
Prostate cancer continues to be the most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The typical age for diagnosis is 67, yet despite this, a startling number of primary care physicians in the U.S.—more than half—do not routinely offer the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test or digital rectal exam (DRE). These are two straightforward tools that, when used appropriately and consistently, have saved countless lives.
The reason behind this lapse can be traced back to recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In 2012, and again in 2018, the USPSTF advised against prostate cancer screening for men over 70 years of age. The recommendations, issued by a panel notably lacking urologists, were based on studies that have since been criticized as flawed and statistically unsound. A particularly concerning issue is that these studies had very low participation rates among Black men, a group significantly more susceptible to aggressive prostate cancer and higher mortality rates from the disease.
Before the issuance of these recommendations, prostate cancer screening had been standard for over two decades and had led to a nearly 50% reduction in death rates from the disease. Since 2013, however, mortality has been climbing. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer deaths have risen year after year. In 2024 alone, 35,250 men in the United States died from the disease. Of those, a striking 60% were men aged 70 and older—the very group that was excluded from screening under the USPSTF guidelines.
This tragic outcome highlights a worsening trend: prostate cancer is increasingly being caught at advanced, often incurable, stages. Older men, Black men, and those with a family history of prostate cancer are particularly at risk. Globally, the numbers are equally sobering. In 2022, there were 1.5 million new cases and over 306,000 deaths due to prostate cancer.
When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body—most commonly the bones—it becomes incurable. The prognosis in such cases is grim: 79% of men with metastatic prostate cancer ultimately die from it, and 60% of those die within just two years of diagnosis. These are preventable deaths. Proper screening and timely detection can make a dramatic difference in outcomes.
Critics of widespread screening often point to the risk of overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment. While this concern was more relevant in the past, modern medical advancements have significantly improved the ability to distinguish between aggressive and slow-growing tumors. Tools such as MRI of the prostate, PSMA PET/CT imaging, genomic testing, and improved biopsy techniques have refined diagnostic precision. Additionally, active surveillance—where low-risk cases are monitored instead of treated immediately—is now a well-established practice, helping many men avoid unnecessary interventions.
Still, the limitations of current diagnostic methods must be acknowledged. “Prostate biopsies can underestimate the severity of the cancer in about 50% of cases,” the physician stated. Even with active surveillance, nearly half of men eventually see their cancer progress to a more serious stage that requires treatment. This reality makes it clear that avoiding screening in older men—many of whom are still active and healthy with a life expectancy of more than 14 years—is not only unjustified but dangerous.
From an economic standpoint, the costs are staggering. In 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) spent $11.8 billion on prostate cancer care. By 2020, that figure had soared to $20 billion. Treating metastatic prostate cancer alone can cost more than $200,000 per patient. In contrast, early detection and treatment are far more cost-effective. The five-year survival rate for localized prostate cancer is over 99%. For men diagnosed with metastatic disease, that number falls dramatically to 37%.
In May 2024, a paper co-authored by the physician and Dr. Vladimir Ioffe, published in Trends in Urology, referenced over 50 studies and advocated for routine screening in healthy men over 70. This position is gaining support among urologists and oncologists who see the damage done by late-stage diagnoses. “Thankfully, CMS does cover prostate cancer screening costs for Medicare beneficiaries,” the physician noted. However, current guidelines still dissuade many doctors from offering these screenings to patients over 70, even when clinical evidence supports it.
Today, more than 3.3 million men in the U.S. are alive after being treated for prostate cancer. This figure underscores the effectiveness of early detection. Meanwhile, the U.S. is home to approximately 24 million men over the age of 70. Many in this group are capable of living well into their 80s and beyond. By not screening them, the healthcare system is denying them a potentially life-saving intervention.
“It is time to update our national guidelines to reflect medical reality,” the physician urged. In their view, all men over the age of 55 should receive regular prostate cancer screening, particularly those with risk factors such as a family history of the disease or African ancestry.
The case of President Biden, though deeply personal and tragic, sheds light on a national health policy failing that has put countless men at risk. With the tools of modern medicine readily available and the clinical evidence increasingly in favor of routine screening, it is time for the guidelines to change. Without such updates, preventable deaths will continue, and opportunities for early, life-saving intervention will be missed.
The medical community and policy makers must come together to reverse this dangerous course. Screening saves lives. The data is clear. The time to act is now.
(Dr. Navin C. Shah is a urologist based in the Washington, D.C., area. He has published six papers on prostate cancer and 15 letters to the editor commenting on other published papers on prostate cancer in various reputed US urology journals. His memoir, “Karma and Destiny of an Indian American Surgeon” (published by AB Books), was released in 2022. Dr. Shah is also a numismatist with a collection of thousands of ancient Indian coins.)
As the President-Elect, the multi-talented professional said, “I understand that AAPI needs experienced leadership from someone who has been in AAPI leadership for over two decades. I know what works and what does not. This is a major contribution that I can make this year in guiding the leadership to progress in the right direction efficiently and effectively.”
clinical professor of medicine at Wright State University-Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Kathula is a Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. He has authored several papers and articles in medical journals and is in the process of writing a book, describing his journey as an immigrant physician. “For the past 22 years, I’ve been proudly serving as a Hematologist and Oncologist in the Dayton community, considering it my home:”
The growing influence of physicians of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in healthcare, academic, research, and administrative positions across the nation. Physicians of Indian origin are known for their great achievements, and their contributions to their motherland, India, and their adopted land, the United States in significant ways to the transformation of Indo-US relations.
In her keynote address at the gala on Sunday night, Honorable Smriti Irani, a former Cabinet Minister of India and a Bollywood star shared with the over 1,500 AAPI delegates who came from across the United States about the many contributions of India to the world, especially in the healthcare filed and the numerous achievements of the Government of India. She thanked the AAPI members for their great contributions and services to the people of the United States and for their motherland India.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams inaugurated the World Health Congress of Physicians with the cutting of the Ribbon and a powerful and memorable inaugural address on July 18th, 2024. In his inaugural address, Adams lauded the contributions of Indian American physicians across the United States, especially during the Covid pandemic. “When you look at the 1000s of physicians across the country, you walk into any hospital, the emergency rooms, especially during COVID, you were present. You were there, and you sacrificed your own health to make sure of the health of this entire country. Your contributions are so rare.”
Some of the major themes at the convention include: Yoga and Meditation practices, a welcome kit with books & self-care supplies, A Personal Reflexology Session, Take home wellness routine, yoga therapy sessions, a workshop on Spiritual well-being, Book talk with Yoga Gurus, including on the science of Yoga & Lifestyle medicine, and several wellness sessions.
Amit Chakrabarty, Vice President of AAPI said, “AAPI’s mission has evolved in the past 42 years. “Today, AAPI is strong representing over 120,000 Indian American physicians, 130 local Chapters, who make up 10% of total physicians in the US and nearly 50% of International Medical Graduates, rooted in every corner of the nation, who serve every 7th patient in the US. We are proud of our achievements and our contributions to the healthcare industry and the millions of people we serve.”
Research and Arts Competition: Poster Competition brought in the best among the aspiring medical students and new graduates from Medical schools. A Panel Discussion on Global Medical Education addressed by the Heads of NBME, FSMB, Intealth, NBME, and NBEMS offered practical tools on navigating the educational systems across India, UK and the United States.
Each day began for the participants with an hour long session on “Harmony and Health: Integrative Yoga” where delegates benefited from hands on sessions teaching and practicing Yoga. Another theme that ran across all days of the Congress was Art Gallery – Oorja: The Feminine Light in Indian Art. Healing Breath that was part of the schedule everyday of the Congress was another way AAPI delegates had an opportunity to ground themselves to the present and start afresh.
The growing influence of doctors of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in the healthcare, academic, research and administrative positions across the nation. With their hard work, dedication, compassion, and skills, they have thus carved an enviable niche in the American medical community. AAPI’s role has come to be recognized as vital among members and among lawmakers.
(Albany, NY – May 23, 2024) Dr. Hari Krishna Shukla, practicing Medicine in Flushing, Queens in New York for nearly four decades, serving thousands of young patients, was bestowed with the New York State Liberty Medal during a solemn ceremony on the New York Senate Floor in Albany, NY on May 15th, 2024.
While introducing Dr. Seth, Dr. Lokesh Edara, Chairman of AAPI BOT said, “Dr. Seth is the president of NBEMS, who has brought significant contributions to medical education, increase in much needed post graduate seats I n medical education in India, and has encouraged family medicine post graduated and diploma courses,” he said. “ in addition, he has taken CPR awareness initiatives and worked with several healthcare institutions including NMC, Dental, Nursing, Para Medic, whose numbers have reached more than 2 million people as of 2023.”
Academia, initially in India and then extensively in the UK. He published more than 20 peer reviewed publications in prestigious journals, including in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 40 abstract presentations and 40 conference presentations at the British Thoracic Society, World Congress of Brontology, European Respiratory Society and American Thoracic Society. His major research and publications are in the fields of large airway intervention and Sildenafil therapy for patients with pulmonary hypertension.
The FDA panel accepted