The Overdiagnosis Trap: Why Common Prostate Screenings Often Lead to Unnecessary Harm

Intellectual Medicine · Jun 9, 2026 · 23m · transcript

What if the diagnosis you fear most is also the one most likely to be wrong and the treatment that follows causes more damage than the disease ever would?

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Petteruti highlights how the prostate is often overdiagnosed and overtreated. The issue is not the PSA test itself. It’s how the result is interpreted and what happens next.

Dr. Stephen breaks down the cycle: arbitrary PSA cutoffs, fear-based referrals, and biopsies that detect dormant cells and trigger aggressive treatments. These pathways can lead to real consequences without clear evidence of improving…