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Value of prostate cancer screening
1Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, IL 60637.
European Urology
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Establishing whether prostate cancer screening reduces mortality requires a large, long-term randomized study. Widespread PSA testing complicates finding unscreened control groups for this vital prostate cancer research.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Oncology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Prostate cancer screening's impact on mortality remains uncertain.
- Widespread use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing presents challenges for research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if prostate cancer screening effectively decreases mortality.
- To address the need for a definitive, long-term study on screening efficacy.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale, randomized, prospective study is required.
- A minimum follow-up period of 15 years is necessary due to slow disease progression.
Main Results:
- The increasing prevalence of PSA screening complicates the recruitment of unscreened control populations.
- A definitive study is challenging but essential for future clinical practice.
Conclusions:
- A large, randomized, prospective study with long-term follow-up is crucial to establish the effect of screening on prostate cancer mortality.
- Physicians must counsel patients on screening benefits and risks while definitive evidence is pending.