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Most men over 50 do not know key facts about the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test which is the most widely used method of screening for prostate cancer, according to University of Texas-Houston Medical School researchers.
The result, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Public Health, is that most men are not in a position to make an informed decision on whether or not to have a PSA blood test.
While the American Cancer Society recommends that doctors offer men the PSA test beginning at age 50, the test is not without its critics. PSA levels can be elevated in men without prostate cancer, while men with prostate cancer at times can have low PSA levels.
Studies have shown that since widespread use of the PSA test began, prostate cancer is more often detected at an earlier stage. But researchers continue to debate whether early treatment for prostate cancer prolongs survival, and surgery or radiation treatments often result in such side effects as impotence and urinary incontinence.
In their study of 271 men over age 50 who went to a local medical clinic for routine checkups, the researchers found that 80 percent had been advised to have a PSA test but only half of these had been counseled about the advantages and disadvantages.
The men also were given a 36-question survey that tested their knowledge of the facts needed to make an informed decision about PSA testing. On average, the men answered about half of the questions correctly.
Nine out of ten believed that regular screening lowers prostate cancer mortality, seven out of ten believed doctors were in agreement on the usefulness of PSA testing. Fewer than half were aware that the PSA test might give inaccurate results.
Source: Prostate Cancer Week of June 1, 2003
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