Clinical Issues for Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening: A Narrative Review

• Main Authors: Marco Randazzo, Anna Höhener, Hubert John, Yves Wyss
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Medical Journal 2018-12-01
• Series: European Medical Journal Oncology
• Subjects: prostate cancer mortality; prostate cancer prevalence; prostate cancer screening; prostate-specific antigen (psa)
• Online Access: https://www.emjreviews.com/oncology/article/clinical-issues-for-prostate-specific-antigen-screening-a-narrative-review/

Prostate cancer, with its remarkably high prevalence, frequently creates clinical problems in terms of screening and diagnosis, as well as identifying the optimal window for treatment. Moreover, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, despite being easy to perform, is routinely carried out without the patient’s informed consent. Although PSA-based screening for prostate cancer can reduce cancer-specific mortality, informed decision-making is mandatory; however, the clinician’s daily routine often neglects this critical discussion before performing a PSA blood test. This narrative review discusses the main questions regarding PSA screening and provides information on the epidemiological, clinical, and pathological aspects of prostate cancer.