Usefulness of an immunochromatographical assay, PSA Rapid Test as a primary screening test for prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
The recent rapid increase of mass screening for prostate cancer by measuring PSA in Japan will increase the economic burden to the healthcare system. PSA Rapid Test (PRT) is a simple inexpensive test. The usefulness of PRT as a primary screening test for prostate cancer was evaluated.


METHODS
When we conducted educational lectures for prostate cancer in our city, screening for prostate cancer using PRT was offered to the male participants. The results of the tests were handed to participants in writing at the end of the lectures. When the results were judged as positive, letters of referral to our institute were enclosed.


RESULTS
One hundred and fourteen (18.6%) of 614 men were judged as positive by PRT. Of the 114 men with positive PRT, 73 (64%) visited our institution. Finally, 37 men underwent a transrectal prostate biopsy and a diagnosis of prostate cancer was made in 21 men (3.4% of all participants). The total costs for the PSA tests in this study were summed to be approximately $2,300, while they would be approximately $9,200 if all participants had undergone screening using the conventional quantitative method from the outset.


CONCLUSIONS
PRT is a low-cost method to detect patients with prostate cancer. We believe the PRT is useful as an initial screening test for detecting prostate cancer and that the combination of the PRT and more precise quantitative testing would be a reasonable way to reduce the cost and achieve high detection rate.
Shigeno
Kazushi
K
Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, 6938501, Japan. shige-k@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
Arichi
Naoko
N
Yoneda
Tatsuaki
T
Kishi
Hirofumi
H
Shiina
Hiroaki
H
Igawa
Mikio
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods; D002845:Chromatography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen