Prostate cancer screening and beliefs about treatment efficacy: a national survey of primary care physicians and urologists.
OBJECTIVE
To describe practice patterns and beliefs of primary care physicians and urologists regarding early detection and treatment of prostate cancer.


METHODS
National probability samples of primary care physicians (n=444) and urologists (n=394) completed mail survey instruments in 1995. Physicians were asked about their use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for men of different ages and their beliefs about the value of radical prostatectomy, external-beam radiation therapy, and watchful waiting for men with differing life expectancies.


RESULTS
Most primary care physicians report doing PSA tests during routine examination of men older than 50 years of age. The majority say they continue to do them on patients over 80 years and to refer men with abnormal values for biopsy. In contrast, only a minority of urologists would recommend PSA tests or biopsy for abnormal values for men over 75 years of age. More than 80% of primary care physicians and urologists doubt the value of radical prostatectomy for men with < 10 years of life expectancy; more primary care physicians than urologists see probable survival benefit in radiation therapy for patients with life expectancy < 10 years (48% versus 36%) or > 10 years (67% versus 53%). Thirteen percent of primary care physicians and only 3% of urologists consider watchful waiting to be as appropriate as aggressive therapy for men with > 10 years of life expectancy.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary care physicians are more aggressive about PSA testing and referral for biopsy than most urologists recommend. Both groups recommend PSA testing and believe that aggressive treatment is more beneficial than existing evidence indicates.
Center for Survey Research, University of Massachusetts, Boston, 02125, USA.
F J
FJ
Fowler
L
L
Bin
M M
MM
Collins
R G
RG
Roberts
J E
JE
Oesterling
J H
JH
Wasson
M J
MJ
Barry
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014572:Urology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen