[Prostatic carcinoma: healthy population screening or a better diagnosis?]

In the light of present knowledge with regard to prostate carcinoma, the concerns and objections that arise due to an eventual recommendation to the healthy population for systematic screening of prostate cancer are presented together with the possible identification of certain population groups which could benefit from it. It is concluded that in opposition to the concept of mass screening there is more logic today in the selective screening of risk groups and also that in future studies on the incidence on mortality figures these should be done on the country's own population. Up to the present time, the association of rectal examination and PSA is the best method available to establish a suspected diagnosis of prostate cancer.