Prostate cancer screening update 2017

If you follow this blog far enough back you will read early rumblings about the futility of prostate cancer screening.  The last ten years has seen a “slow growth” of international guidelines stating that this is something that we probably should NOT be doing… and yet, it remains one of the most common screening tests in primary care. In 2013 approximately 20% of middle-aged Aussie men were tested using PSA. [AIHW, Medicare]

This 2016 paper in BMJ Open illustrated the stark differences in PSA screening practice between Australian and UK based GPs.  The Poms rarely screen for prostate cancer – whereas we are a bit keen in the Antipodes.

Doctors’ perspectives on PSA testing illuminate established differences in prostate cancer screening rates between Australia and the UK: a qualitative study

The rate of screening in Australia has been decreasing since about 2008 [as has the incidence of disease… beware statistical trap there! If you don’t look you won’t find it.  Does it matter?? – there’s the big question!]

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