BRIEFING PAPER

Briefing Paper for the Minister

Briefing Paper for the Minister

Background

According to a twenty years study, prostate cancer screening test does not save lives or reduce the death rates. The percentage in UK of prostate cancer cases is very high as one in four newly diagnosed cancers in men had prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is responsible for thousands of lives each year around the world. (Schröder 2009, 360)

Key Issues

Evidence related to the effectiveness of screening in decreasing the rate of prostate cancer mortality is very weak. The clinical diagnosis is mostly unpredictable as around 50% of all the tumours after surgery were upstaged. The harms outweigh the benefits of screening. A latest study was performed by Sweden researchers which involved approximately ten thousand males between fifty and sixty years of age. Fifteen hundred men were selected randomly for screening after every three years between 1987 and 1996. Digital rectal examination and prostate specific antigen testing conducted the first two tests. (Brissl 2004, 45). The results indicated that after twenty years of reporting, the mortality rates from prostate cancers did not vary to a great deal between the screening and control group. However, the technique which is most preferred for screening is the PSA-prostate specific antigen test. Males with normal levels of prostate specific antigen constitute about fifteen percent who will suffer from prostate cancer. In fact, two-thirds of males who have higher PSA levels do not have prostate cancer. These studies provide credible evidences to support the proposal made by the Committee against the screening for prostate cancer at this time. . However large studies concluded that screening which uses PSA test can reduce mortality rates. But, previous trial showed that screening can lead many men to unwanted treatment for a harmless prostate cancer. That is the reason why that even the Prostate Cancer Charity thinks that there is not enough proof yet to support a screening program. The Prostate Cancer Charity accepts the overall results of the review that the introduction of a national screening programme for prostate cancer is not currently suitable given the available facts about the benefits and problems of such a programme.

Concluding Points

The criterion will be re-evaluated again in three years the substantiation for prostate cancer screening against their criterion again in three years, or earlier if new substantiation necessitates it. This study suggests that screening males for prostate cancer does not reduce the number of men dying from the condition . It is important at this stage to mention that this was relatively a small research study and not all the screening phases utilized the PSA test. PSA is the most effective test present to indicate prostate problems that might turn out to be cancer. However, the Charity believes it is no longer satisfactory for the UK NSC to sponsor an informed choice approach to PSA testing by relying on the current Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) to bring this opportunity in a way that is fair and available for all ...