[Prostate cancer screening using prostate-specific antigen: The views of general and laboratory physicians]

Abstract

Introduction: It is currently recommended to provide individualised information on benefit-risk balance and shared decision-making in prostate cancer screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

Aim: To determine the usual practice and the views of general and laboratory practitioners in the screening of prostate cancer using PSA.

Material and methods: A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire and on PSA screening requests from Primary Health Care (PHC) in men older than 49 years with no prostatic symptoms.

Results: In 2015, PHC in Catalonia requested PSA on 15.2% of males. A total of 114 general practitioners and 227 laboratory practitioners participated in the questionnaire. The mean age of those who responded was 43 years with a mean of 17 years' experience, and included 64% women. According to general practitioners, 61% of PSA was performed at the patient's request. The uncertainty score when requesting PSA was 5 points for general practitioners and 5.7 for laboratory professionals. Interest in having clinical recommendations received 7.2 points in PHC, and 8.8 in the laboratory. Knowledge about the different clinical practice guidelines received was less than 5 points overall.

Conclusions: General practitioners requested PSA screening in almost one-sixth of men over the age of 49 without prostate disease, often at the patient's request, and after informing them of the benefits and risks. PHC and laboratory physicians were interested in having recommendations and information, although they did not usually consult clinical practice guidelines immediately.

Keywords: Antígeno prostático específico; Atención primaria; Cribado; Cuestionarios; Cáncer de próstata; Laboratorio; Laboratory; Primary Health Care; Prostate-specific antigen; Prostatic neoplasm; Questionnaires; Screening.