When evaluating the impact of a screening program, researchers and public health officials must weigh not only the benefits of the program but also the potential harm that follows the introduction of the program. Unfortunately, little information is available from clinical trials that support the efficacy of intervention. Several publications have documented the complications associated with intervention, including the risk of incontinence bowel irritation and impotence. Decision analyses of screening have suggested that quality-adjusted survival may be compromised by screening, while decision-analytic models question the ability of screening and treatment to alter the outcome among men aged over 70, especially those with well- and moderately differentiated disease.