Better outcomes tied to higher-level prostate cancer screening

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, accounting for 288,300 new cases and 34,700 deaths each year. Few consistent modifiable risk factors for prostate cancer have been identified,

limiting the scope for primary prevention. In 2012, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued recommendations advising against use of PSA screening. In the years that followed screenings decreased and incidence of de novo metastatic prostate cancer increased, with early reports suggesting that prostate cancer deaths might be increasing. These concerning trends led the USPSTF in 2018 to slightly revise its recommendations, allowing for shared decision-making about whether or not to receive PSA screening.

A study recently published in JAMA Network Open found that higher level prevalence of PSA screening is associated with lower odds of advanced disease, all-cause mortality, and prostate cancer-specific mortality.

This study looked at more than 800,000 men with prostate cancer over a long period of time. It found that PSA screening was linked to lower rates of advanced cancer in Hispanic men, older men, and men living in the Northeast. Also, PSA screening was linked to lower overall death rates in Hispanic men, younger men compared to older ones, men with advanced cancer compared to early-stage cancer, and men living in the West.

HealthDay News, 2024. June 7