title: Screening for prostate cancer: a comparison of urologists and primary care physicians.
abstract: Prostate cancer screening has assumed increased importance with increasing mortality from this cancer. Newer diagnostic tests such as measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) have improved detection of early prostate cancer. To determine practice patterns of prostate cancer screening, surveys were sent to 487 urologists (231 responses) and 542 family physicians (205 responses) in the Southeast inquiring about actual screening practices. In screening asymptomatic patients, the digital rectal examination was used by 99% of the urologists and 98% of the family physicians, with the mean age of screening initiation being 45 +/- 7 years for the urologists and 43 +/- 7 years for the family physicians. Serum PSA was used for screening asymptomatic patients by 98% of the urologists and 87% of the family physicians, with 49 +/- 4 years being the mean age of screening initiation for both specialties. Although differences in screening emerged, both physician groups approximated the recommended screening guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Tuscaloosa, USA.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: McKnight
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Tietze
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Adcock
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012007:Rectum; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014572:Urology
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen