Information leads to fewer prostate cancer screenings

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

The more men know about prostate cancer, the less likely they are to opt for screening.
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening can be helpful in diagnosing early cases of prostate cancer, and in monitoring the disease. But it is not perfect and men need to be well informed over whether they are actually going to benefit from a PSA test.

A new study, from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University, involved nearly 500 men aged between 50 and 70, who were undergoing a health maintenance examination. They were given either an Internet or paper education aid, or no information, prior to their visit. Overall, the men given prior information were more engaged with the decision-making process over whether to have PSA screening or not. They were better informed of the risks and benefits involved and, as a result, fewer of them decided to have the test at that stage of their lives. Of course, PSA testing can still be helpful in diagnosing prostate cancer - but, on the downside, elevated values of PSA can occur for reasons other than cancer and can lead to unnecessary investigation. Furthermore, PSA testing may uncover cancers that have no clinical significance which may lead to unnecessary treatment.

Source
Annals of Family Medicine March-April 2007

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