Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
13:19
Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
17.0K
Opportunistic prostate cancer screening: A population-based analysis.
Bashar Matti1, Kamran Zargar-Shoshtari1
1Department of Surgery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Urologic Oncology
|January 19, 2020
Summary
Prostate cancer screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests is highly prevalent in New Zealand. This widespread opportunistic screening raises concerns about counseling quality and resource allocation for this common practice.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer (CaP) screening is controversial.
- Current guidelines recommend opportunistic screening, but clinical observations suggest higher prevalence.
- This study investigates the actual prevalence and patterns of PSA testing in a large population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the prevalence and extent of opportunistic prostate cancer screening.
- To investigate contemporary patterns of PSA testing in New Zealand.
- To assess the utilization of PSA testing in population-based screening.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1,208,214 PSA tests from 311,725 men (2008-2017) in New Zealand.
- Data accessed from prospectively maintained databases, including demographics, medical history, and PSA results.
- Population estimates derived from national census data.
Main Results:
- Opportunistic CaP screening prevalence reached 87% in men aged 40-79.
- 65% of men aged 50-69 received regular 2-yearly PSA tests.
- Men with 3+ PSA tests had an 85% higher likelihood of CaP diagnosis (OR 1.85, P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- PSA-based prostate cancer screening is a highly prevalent practice in New Zealand.
- High prevalence raises concerns about the quality of patient counseling.
- Adequacy of resources for widespread screening practices requires further evaluation.
