[Prostatic carcinoma. Screening--when and what?]

Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer and the second most common cause of death from cancer among men. Therapy of curative intention is only possible in organ confined disease. The use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination (DRE) results in a three fold increase in prostatic carcinoma detection. Levels of PSA > 4 ng/ml are indications for sextant biopsies of the prostate. There did not exist an intermediate range or 'grey zone' of PSA 4-10 ng/ml where wait and see diagnostic procedure is indicated. In PSA levels > 10 ng/ml curative therapy can only performed in 15-44% of the cases. PSA and DRE examination should be performed between the age of 50 and 70 years when life expectancy exceeds ten years. In case of familiar history the case finding has to start at the age of 45. There is no support for the common opinion that early detection finds clinically insignificant cancer since autoptical prevalence of prostate cancer is about 40% and early detection discover only 3-4%. Results about the usefulness of active screening in a population will be available in 2005.