[Screening of prostate cancer seen by general practitioners]

The screening of prostate cancer was recently the subject of international studies and debates in France. We decided to study the vision of the screening, in particular by the PSA, which have the general practitioners.

We sent a questionnaire to 456 general practitioners of Oise (French department) to be returned in an anonymous way on the prostate cancer, PSA, the economic impact of the PSA and we asked whether the doctors realized the screening or not, if they were favorable to it and for which reasons.

We received 38% of answers. Eighty-one percent of the general practitioners considered that prostate cancer is frequent, 72% that it evolved slowly and 55% that it affected old men. For 79% of the general practitioners, the patients were asking for a screening by PSA. Eighty-eight percent thought that they had to be in front line of the screening, 58% that the functional consequences of the screening were satisfactory. Fifty-seven percent of the general practitioners realized the screening in a systematic way and 88% were favorable to it.

The general practitioners of Oise remained favorable for the greater part to the screening of prostate cancer and the patients applicants in spite of various debates.