- MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) — One in five men in their 40s has
had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in the past year, and young
black men are more likely than young white men to have undergone the test,
a new analysis shows.

The findings, published in the Sept. 15 issue of Cancer, should
help experts as they reassess prostate cancer screening
recommendations.

Most groups recommended men with no specific risk of prostate cancer
discuss with their doctor whether to get tested around age 50. The
American Cancer Society recommends annual testing, starting at age 45 for
blacks and men with an immediate relative with prostate cancer. The
association recommends testing start at 40 for men with two or more
first-degree relatives with prostate cancer.

Still, most major medical organizations say not enough evidence exists
to recommend routine prostate cancer screening using PSA or digital rectal
exam (DRE) for most men.

While the results of the new analysis are somewhat reassuring about
doctors recommending screening to black men who are at a greater risk for
prostate cancer, the study authors noted that PSA screening in this group
is still below acceptable levels. The study found only about one in three
black men reported having a PSA test in the past year.

The survey, based on a 2002 survey of 58,511 U.S. men aged 40 and
above, also found that younger Hispanic men were more likely to undergo
PSA testing than younger white, non-Hispanic men. The likelihood of having
a PSA test also increased with obesity, as well as having a higher
household income and higher education level.

The study also found health insurance coverage and an ongoing
relationship with a physician were also strongly tied to whether one had a
recent PSA test.

“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,” the authors wrote. “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.”

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about prostate cancer.