Variations in Age-Adjusted Prostate Cancer Incidence Rates by Race and Ethnicity After Changes in Prostate-Specific...

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Urology

Background:

• US Preventive Task Force guidelines for Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening were updated in 2008 and 2012.
• These updates have been associated with changes in prostate cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis.
• It remains unclear if these changes were temporary or varied by demographic factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between the 2008 and 2012 PSA screening guidelines and prostate cancer incidence.
• To analyze these associations across different age groups, races, and ethnicities in the US.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing the US Cancer Statistics public use database from 2005 to 2018.
• Join point regression analysis was used to evaluate trends in age-adjusted prostate cancer incidence rates.
• Analysis considered age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and stage of diagnosis.

Main Results:

• A decrease in age-adjusted prostate cancer incidence rates was observed across all age, race, and ethnicity groups following the 2008 guideline changes.
• Specific annual percent changes (APCs) varied significantly between demographic groups.
• For example, APCs for men aged 65-74 years ranged from -5.96% to -7.92% depending on race and ethnicity.

Conclusions:

• Prostate cancer incidence trends showed distinct patterns across different age, race, and ethnicity groups after the PSA screening guideline revisions.
• These findings offer crucial data on the temporal dynamics of cancer diagnoses linked to screening recommendations.
• The results can inform targeted strategies to reduce the incidence of regional and distant-stage prostate cancers.