By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – A local doctor said relaxed guidelines could be a reason why advanced cases of prostate cancer have risen dramatically in the U.S. over the last decade.

The study done by Northwestern Medicine in Chicago shows later stages of the cancer has been detected in men ages 55 to 70 nearly doubled in 10 years.

“It raised several questions; is the disease changing in a segment of the male population, that’s one possibility or are we being more lax about screening and so when men are diagnosed they are diagnosed at a later stage,” Bloomington surgeon John Wieland said. “There may be a combination.”

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Wieland on WJBC.

Wieland told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin the medical community has shied away from over-testing over concerns that unnecessary treatments were leading to complications.

“I think what happened is we all relaxed and so the PSA screening dropped probably for that age group that needs it the most,” Wieland said.

He added a side effect of less testing is doctors aren’t as good at detecting the cancer.

If you are not doing the exams on a regular basis, if you’re not feeling what’s normal then it’s more difficult to appreciate what’s normal,” Wieland said.

Experts say the study is especially troubling because men 55 to 70 benefit the most from early detection and treatment.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].