One In Five Young Men Screened For Prostate Cancer

A new study has shown that one in five American men in their 40’s underwent a prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) during the last year.

Published in the Sept. 15 issue of Cancer, the research highlights the difference in screening rates between young black males versus young white males.

Senior investigator Dr. Judd W. Moul from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina said, "Our findings for black men are discouraging. We've been encouraging black men to get screened at age 40 or 45 for more than a decade, yet only one-third of these high-risk men reported being tested."

In the case of prostrate cancer the blood levels of a protein called prostrate-specific antigen (PSA) usually rises. Doctors recommend a PSA screening by the age of 50 years for men though in the case of African American men or those with a family history of the disease, the American Cancer Society recommends prostrate cancer screening by the age of 45 years. The recommended testing age by the association drops to 40 years for men with two or more first-degree relatives with prostate cancer.

The study based on a 2002 survey of U.S. men in the age group of 40 plus, suggests that young black men are 2.4 times more likely to undergo a PSA test as compared to the white male, as were younger Hispanic males.The chances of having a PSA test increased with factors such as obesity, having a higher household income of $ 35,000 or more, and higher education level as well as health insurance cover and a relationship with a physician.

The rates of PSA screening for the last year were 22.5 % of men aged 40 to 49 and 53.7 % of older men though doctors feel black men should have more screening done as they are at a greater risk for prostrate cancer. The current rate of one out of three black men being screened was not good.

The study authors wrote, "Our study is the first to specifically examine PSA screening in younger men, which provides an important assessment of quality of care, especially for high-risk groups. Further investigation will be required to understand the impact of new risk-stratification strategies, with particular focus on the policy implications of potentially large increases in health-care resource use."