An initial PSA level of 3.0 ng/mL appears to be an appropriate threshold for biopsy of men to investigate for prostate cancer, a major new study suggests.
About 80% of men in the age group of 55-74 years had a PSA under 3 and there was a low mortality in this group, suggesting that annual PSA testing is not appropriate for them, according to Dutch researchers.
In a study of almost 20,000 men who underwent PSA screening, they found that 15,758 had an initial PSA level of less than 3. After 11 years of follow up, 6% of the men in this group had developed prostate cancers, 1% had aggressive cancers and there was an overall mortalilty rate of 0.15% (23 deaths).
Presenting the findings at a Genitourinary Cancers Symposium of the American Society for Clinical Oncology this week, the researchers say men with initial PSA levels under 2.0 could most likely go eight years before getting retested.
"PSA can identify those at low risk of prostate cancer and once you have done that, you can remove almost 50 percent of men in the age group 55 to 74 [from undergoing biopsies]," said study senior author Monique Roobol,
"Our results strengthen the justification of the use of PSA in risk stratification for screening purposes. This means that we can possibly avoid unnecessary testing, diagnosis and treatment of less aggressive disease, with the accompanying side effects, by focusing biopsies and other follow-up on men with higher initial PSAs above 3.0," the authors concluded.
An initial PSA level of 3.0 ng/mL appears to be an appropriate threshold for biopsy of men to investigate for prostate cancer, a major new study suggests.
About 80% of men in the age group of 55-74 years had a PSA under 3 and there was a low mortality in this group, suggesting that annual PSA testing is not appropriate for them, according to Dutch researchers.
In a study of almost 20,000 men who underwent PSA screening, they found that 15,758 had an initial PSA level of less than 3. After 11 years of follow up, 6% of the men in this group had developed prostate cancers, 1% had aggressive cancers and there was an overall mortalilty...