scholarly journals PSA screening for prostate cancer

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 722-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus V. Sadi

Summary Screening of prostate cancer with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a highly controversial issue. One part of the controversy is due to the confusion between population screening and early diagnosis, another derives from problems related to the quality of existing screening studies, the results of radical curative treatment for low grade tumors and the complications resulting from treatments that affect the patient’s quality of life. Our review aimed to critically analyze the current recommendations for PSA testing, based on new data provided by the re-evaluation of the ongoing studies and the updated USPSTF recommendation statement, and to propose a more rational and selective use of PSA compared with baseline values obtained at an approximate age of 40 to 50 years.

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fraser Hodgson ◽  
Zuzana Obertová ◽  
Charis Brown ◽  
Ross Lawrenson

INTRODUCTION: In New Zealand, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing has increased significantly (275 000 tests/year). Controversy exists around PSA testing as part of an unorganised screening programme. AIM: To look at the use of PSA testing in a sample of general practices and investigate the reasons GPs undertake PSA testing. METHODS: Five Waikato general practices investigated looking at PSA laboratory tests of men =40 years in 2010 compared against GP notes. Testing rates, reasons for testing, histology and referral/s were examined for different age groups. A questionnaire was sent to the GPs to determine their views on PSA testing. RESULTS: One in four men aged 40+ years had a PSA test in 2010. Of these men, 71% were asymptomatic. More than half of men tested aged 70+ years were asymptomatic. Ten percent of all PSA tests were elevated. Twenty-one of 23 prostate cancers were diagnosed following an elevated PSA test: more than 80% of these men had histories of prostate pathology or lower urinary tract symptoms. The questionnaire confirmed that GPs believe in the benefits of PSA screening and it also showed they had difficulty in providing patients with information about pros and cons of PSA testing. DISCUSSION: All GPs in this study tested asymptomatic men. GPs in this study value PSA screening and believe that it reduces mortality rates. However, although PSA tests were most frequently done on asymptomatic patients, the majority of patients subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer had been tested because of symptoms or had previous prostate problems. KEYWORDS: Prostate specific antigen (PSA); PSA testing; screening; prostate cancer; general practitioners


2020 ◽  
pp. bjgp20X713957
Author(s):  
Ashley Kieran Clift ◽  
Carol Coupland ◽  
Julia Hippisley-Cox

Abstract Background: Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Interpretation of results from trials of screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are complex in terms of defining optimal prostate cancer screening policy. Aims: Assess the rates of, and factors associated with the uptake of PSA testing and opportunistic screening (PSA test in absence of symptoms) in England between 1998 and 2017. Estimate the likely rates of pre-randomisation screening and contamination (unscheduled screening in ‘control’ arm) of the UK-based Cluster Randomised Trial of PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer (“CAP”). Design and Setting: Open cohort study of men aged 40-75 years at cohort entry (1998-2017) undertaken using the QResearch database. Method: Eligible men were followed for up to 19-years. Rates of PSA testing and opportunistic PSA screening were calculated and Cox regression was used to estimate associations. Results: The cohort comprised 2,808,477 men, of whom 631,426 had a total of 1,720,855 PSA tests. We identified that 410,751 men had opportunistic PSA screening. Cumulative proportions of uptake of opportunistic screening in the cohort: 10% at 5yrs, 23% at 10yrs, and 44% at 19yrs of follow-up. The potential rate of contamination in the CAP control arm was estimated at 24.5%. Conclusions: A substantial number of men in England opt-in to opportunistic prostate cancer screening despite uncertainty regarding the efficacy and harms. The rate of opportunistic prostate cancer screening in the population is likely to have contaminated the CAP trial making it difficult to interpret the results.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Teishima ◽  
Satoshi Maruyama ◽  
Hideki Mochizuki ◽  
Kiyotaka Oka ◽  
Kenichiro Ikeda ◽  
...  

Introduction: We investigate the effectiveness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer. We compare the characteristics of 2 sets of patients: (1) those in whom prostate cancer was detected via PSA screening (the PS group) and (2) those in whom prostate cancer was detected at the outpatient office (the non-PS group).Methods: Between 2002 and 2010, prostate cancer was detected in 315 patients by PSA screening. Their age, initial PSA level, pathological findings in biopsy specimens, clinical stage, and prognosis were compared with those of 497 prostate cancer patients diagnosed at the outpatient office of the Department of Urology, Hiroshima University, in the same period.Results: The rates of patients with initial PSA higher than 50 ng/mL, with a Gleason score of 8 or higher, and with clinical stage D were significantly lower in the PS group than those in the non-PS group. The 5-year overall survival and cancer-specific survival in the PS group was 91.3% and 98.2%, respectively; these results were significantly better than those in the non-PS group (86.4%, p = 0.0178, and 94.9%, p = 0.0112, respectively). A Cox hazard analysis showed that PSA screening was an independent predictive factor for cancer-specific survival.Conclusions: Although our study is limited by its retrospective nature and small size, the present data indicate that prostate cancer detected in the PS group showed earlier stage, lower grade, and better prognosis than in the non-PS group.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-295
Author(s):  
Yao-Lin Kao ◽  
Yuh-Shyan Tsai ◽  
Fat-Ya Ou ◽  
Lin Zong-Ying ◽  
Chien-Hui Ou ◽  
...  

Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teng-Kai Yang ◽  
Pi-Chun Chuang ◽  
Amy Ming-Fang Yen ◽  
Hsiu-Hsi Chen ◽  
Sam Li-Sheng Chen

(1) Background: A simulation approach for prostate cancer (PrCa) with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test incorporating genetic information provides a new avenue for the development of personalized screening for PrCa. Going by the evidence-based principle, we use the simulation method to evaluate the effectiveness of mortality reduction resulting from PSA screening and its utilization using a personalized screening regime as opposed to a universal screening program. (2) Methods: A six-state (normal, over-detected, low-grade, and high-grade PrCa in pre-clinical phase, and low-grade and high-grade PrCa in clinical phase) Markov model with genetic and PSA information was developed after a systematic review of genetic variant studies and dose-dependent PSA studies. This gene‒PSA-guided model was used for personalized risk assessment and risk stratification. A computer-based simulated randomized controlled trial was designed to estimate the reduction of mortality achieved by three different screening methods, personalized screening, universal screening, and a non-screening group. (3) Results: The effectiveness of PrCa mortality reduction for a personalized screening program compared to a non-screening group (22% (9%‒33%)) was similar to that noted in the universal screening group (20% (7%‒21%). However, a personalized screening program could dispense with 26% of unnecessary PSA testing, and avoid over-detection by 2%. (4) Conclusions: Gene‒PSA-guided personalized screening for PrCa leads to fewer unnecessary PSA tests without compromising the benefits of mortality reduction (as happens with the universal screening program).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document