title: Can screening for early-stage prostate cancer be rationalized?
abstract: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening identifies prostate cancer at an earlier stage than digital rectal examination alone. The widespread use of PSA as a screening tool has led to a marked increase in the incidence of prostate cancer and an apparent shift toward the diagnosis of earlier stage disease. Proof that PSA-based screening results in a reduction in prostate cancer-related mortality is lacking currently. Therefore, insufficient data are available to determine whether a general screening strategy should be adopted for detecting early-stage prostate cancer. Patients at average risk should be educated about the value of PSA testing. Patient groups at high risk should be the targets of aggressive screening initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012007:Rectum
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen