Viewpoint: Expanding Prostate Cancer Screening

21 March 2006 | Volume 144 Issue 6 | Pages 441-443

Prostate cancer screening is controversial, and major professional associations offer differing screening guidelines. The authors address 3 key issues about prostate cancer screening: 1) the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) criteria to recommend a prostate biopsy, 2) the appropriate age to start screening, and 3) the appropriate age to stop screening. The authors argue, on the basis of evidence published since 2000, that data supporting the efficacy of PSA screening are convincing. They recommend screening for risk assessment for average-risk men beginning at age 40 years, screening selected healthy men older than age 70 years, and lowering the PSA threshold for considering biopsy to 2.5 ng/mL for all men.

Author and Article Information

From Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, and Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Consultancies: W.J. Catalona (Beckman Coulter Inc.); Honoraria: W.J. Catalona (Beckman Coulter Inc.); Grants received: W.J. Catalona (Beckman Coulter Inc.).

Requests for Single Reprints: William J. Catalona, MD, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Urology, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Tarry 16-703, Chicago, IL 60611; e-mail, wcatalona{at}nmff.org.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Catalona and Han: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Urology, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Tarry 16-703, Chicago, IL 60611.

Dr. Loeb: Georgetown University School of Medicine, 2201 N Street NW 403, Washington, DC 20037.