03 Jun What Happened to Prostate Cancer Screening and Treatment After PSA Guidelines Changed?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Kearns
James T. Kearns, MD
Clinical Fellow, Department of Urology
University of Washington School of Medicine
Seattle, WA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The effects of the USPSTF recommendation against prostate cancer screening had not been fully characterized among a younger population, particularly with respect to downstream effects such as prostate biopsy, prostate cancer diagnosis, and treatment for prostate cancer.
We found that PSA testing decreased in the years surrounding the USPSTF recommendation, but we also found a larger proportionate decrease in prostate biopsy, prostate cancer diagnosis, and use of surgery or radiation for the treatment of prostate cancer.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: PSA testing declined in the years surrounding the USPSTF recommendation against prostate cancer screening, but it also appears that there was a change in how men who were tested were treated. There were fewer biopsies, and fewer men elected treatment with surgery or radiation. This may suggest that patients and clinicians are being more thoughtful about how to proceed with the information gathered through PSA testing.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: We need to understand how men fare in the long term with regard to prostate cancer in this era of decreased screening. It would also be very interesting to understand the severity of disease in men who chose to treat their prostate cancer versus men who chose to avoid surgery or radiation immediately after diagnosis.
I have no disclosures regarding this research.
Citation:
James T. Kearns MD, Sarah K. Holt PhD, Jonathan L. Wright MD, MS, Daniel W. Lin MD, Paul H. Lange MD, John L. Gore MD, MPH
First published: 21 May 2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cncr.31337
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Last Updated on June 3, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD