Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2002 Apr;85(4):502-8.

The prevalence of prostate cancer screening in Thai elderly

Anupan Tantiwong  1 , Suchai Soontrapa, Pichaiya Sujijantrarat, Nirun Vanprapar, Lawan Sawangsak
Affiliations
  • PMID: 12118499

The prevalence of prostate cancer screening in Thai elderly

Anupan Tantiwong et al. J Med Assoc Thai. 2002 Apr.

Abstract

Problem: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in elderly men in Western countries. In the future, it may be an important problem in Thailand. At present, there is no evidence about the prevalence and the outcome of screening in this disease.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of prostate cancer in elderly Thai men and to identify the most appropriate screening method for detection of prostate cancer in Thailand.

Material and method: 928 elderly men from communities around Siriraj Hospital were evaluated for prostate cancer by Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and/or Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). Transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy (TRUS-Bx) which is the gold standard for definitive diagnosis was performed in cases with an abnormal DRE and/or PSA. If biopsy could not be performed, intermittent follow-up with DRE and/or PSA were recommended.

Result: The prevalence of prostate cancer in Thai elderly men in the urban community was more than 0.75 per cent and the prevalence of abnormal DRE and PSA was 8.7 and 17.3 per cent respectively. The Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of both tests was 60 per cent and higher than the PPV of an individual test. A screening program for prostate cancer starting with DRE may be more cost effective.

Conclusion: The prevalence of prostate cancer, abnormal DRE and abnormal PSA in Thai elderly men were more than 0.75, 8.7 and 17.3 per cent respectively which are comparable to the prevalence in Western countries. It is important that we take an interest in this disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Substances