MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- One in five men in their 40s
has had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in the past year,
and young black men are more likely than young white men to have
undergone the test, a new analysis shows.
The findings, published in the Sept. 15 issue of
Cancer, should help experts as they reassess prostate cancer
screening recommendations.
Most groups recommended men with no specific risk of prostate
cancer discuss with their doctor whether to get tested around age
50. The American Cancer Society recommends annual testing, starting
at age 45 for blacks and men with an immediate relative with
prostate cancer. The association recommends testing start at 40 for
men with two or more first-degree relatives with prostate
cancer.
Still, most major medical organizations say not enough evidence
exists to recommend routine prostate cancer screening using PSA or
digital rectal exam (DRE) for most men.
While the results of the new analysis are somewhat reassuring
about doctors recommending screening to black men who are at a
greater risk for prostate cancer, the study authors noted that PSA
screening in this group is still below acceptable levels. The study
found only about one in three black men reported having a PSA test
in the past year.
The survey, based on a 2002 survey of 58,511 U.S. men aged 40
and above, also found that younger Hispanic men were more likely to
undergo PSA testing than younger white, non-Hispanic men. The
likelihood of having a PSA test also increased with obesity, as
well as having a higher household income and higher education
level.
The study also found health insurance coverage and an ongoing
relationship with a physician were also strongly tied to whether
one had a recent PSA test.
"Our study is the first to specifically examine PSA screening in
younger men, which provides an important assessment of quality of
care, especially for high-risk groups," the authors wrote. "Further
investigation will be required to understand the impact of new
risk-stratification strategies, with particular focus on the policy
implications of potentially large increases in health-care resource
use."
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about
prostate cancer.
