Prostate Cancer Screening Essential Factor for Men’s Quality of Life

In 1993, routine prostate cancer screening became widely implemented through the use of a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test that was able to catch and diagnose the disease earlier. The test measures the level of prostate specific antigen, a protein produced by the prostate that can be measured through a simple blood test. Increased levels of PSA may be a sign of prostate cancer.  Chandana Reddy, from Cleveland Clinic (Ohio, USA), and colleagues completed a retrospective study was based on data from 1,721 prostate cancer patients who were treated with either radiation therapy or surgery to remove the prostate gland and surrounding tissue at the Cleveland Clinic between 1986 and 1996. To assess the impact of screening, the patients were divided into two groups according to when they were treated: a prescreening era (1986-1992) or a post-screening era (1993-1996). Patients were also classified as having high-, intermediate- or low-risk disease to determine which groups may have benefitted from prostate cancer screening.  The study shows that within each of the three risk groups, patients treated in the prescreening era were significantly more likely to develop metastatic disease within 10 years of treatment, compared to men in the post-screening era. The researchers urge that: "Our study shows that routine screening not only improves the patient's quality of life by stopping metastatic disease, but it also decreases the burden of care for this advanced disease that must be provided by the health care system.  This demonstrates that the PSA test is extremely valuable in catching the disease earlier and allowing men to live more productive lives after treatment."