Screening for prostate cancer: what do general practitioners think?

Abstract

Aim: To determine how general practitioners in New Zealand view screening for prostate cancer and the extent to which this is undertaken in general practice.

Method: A questionnaire survey of a random sample of 500 general practitioners.

Results: Completed questionnaires were received from 317 of an eligible sample of 462. Approximately 50% believed digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) were effective screening tests for prostate cancer and that asymptomatic men should be screened; 40% believed all men aged 50 years or more should be screened using either DRE or PSA. The majority of the general practitioners currently screen at least some of the men aged 50 years or more on their lists using DRE or PSA regardless of beliefs about the efficacy of the tests. The results also indicated that significantly more general practitioners in the age groups 50-59 years and 60 years and over believed asymptomatic patients should be screened with DRE or PSA.

Conclusion: Despite the absence of evidence to support screening for prostate cancer using DRE or PSA and the increasing number of professional organisations releasing guidelines and statements to that effect, the majority of the general practitioners who participated in this survey are screening some of their patients aged 50 years or more using DRE and/or PSA.