[Prostate-specific antigen use among men without prostate cancer in France (2008-2010)]

This study evaluated the rate of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) dosage in men age 40 or older, affiliated to the general social security system in France between 2008 and 2010: 10.9 million men, excluding those with known prostate cancer. In 2010, 30.7% of this male population had at least one dosage of PSA, i.e. 12.3% of those between 40 and 54, 47.7% of those between 55 and 74, and 47.6% of those 75 years old or older. Percentages of men who had at least one dosage in the three-year period were 26.2%, 77.3% and 75.6% for the same age brackets, respectively. Overall, 13% of men age 40 or older, and in particular 21% of men 75 years old or older had more than three PSA dosages during the three-year time period. Eighty-eight percent of PSA dosages performed in 2010 were prescribed by a general practitioner and 3.2% by an urologist. Conflicting with French and internationally published recommendations regarding PSA dosage, the present results demonstrate a shift toward chaotic mass screening of prostate cancer particularly in men aged 75 or older.