My father had an X-ray and CT scan because of nagging low back pain. The doctor scheduled him for surgery to remove a bulging disc. Next thing we know he’s got prostate cancer that’s spread to his spine. They found it when they took the disc out. Why wasn’t this found sooner?

It’s possible the cancer could have been found before the operation. An MRI is a more sensitive test than a CT scan and might have shown something to suggest a problem. But if a patient’s symptoms don’t point to a more serious condition, then the more expensive imaging isn’t ordered.

Depending on your father’s age the prostate cancer might have been detected with the PSA screening test. This test is recommended for all men after the age of 50. It doesn’t always find everyone with prostate cancer but it’s a place to start.

It’s likely the surgeon couldn’t tell your father had cancer during the operation. Most cancer is diagnosed only after a pathologist looks at the cells under a microscope. Not all disc material is sent to the lab for testing so it’s a good thing your father’s surgeon adopts the practice of routine specimen screening.