Screening for Prostate Cancer: Insufficient Evidence

The USPSTF finds that, although prostate-specific antigen tests can detect early-stage cancer, there is scant evidence that such detection would reduce cancer-specific mortality.

The third U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has been releasing new and updated guidelines during the past year (guidelines homepage; Journal Watch May 15 2001; Journal Watch Nov 22 2002).

USPSTF 3 concludes each of its guidelines with a recommendation, graded as follows:

A -- The intervention is strongly recommended.

B -- The intervention is recommended.

C -- The USPSTF makes no recommendation for or against the intervention.

D -- The intervention is not routinely recommended.

I -- Evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against the intervention.

Although no major medical organizations recommend universal prostate cancer screening, they clearly vary in their enthusiasm for such screening. The USPSTF, in their last report, recommend…

Reviewing Author

Richard Saitz, MD, MPH