Two New Articles on PC Screening (29th June)

Screening for Prostate Cancer
Otis W. Brawley, MD1, Donna P. Ankerst, PhD2 and Ian M. Thompson, MD3

Prostate Cancer: Current Evidence Weighs Against Population Screening
Peter Boyle, PhD, DSc1 and Otis W. Brawley, MD2


It may take a while for me to fully digest these two articles with my initial opinion being that both articles are of interest and hold some merit but there are comparisons/findings that on first reading are completely groundless!

For Example:

Prostate Cancer: Current Evidence Weighs Against Population Screening

"The real impact and tragedy of prostate cancer screening is the doubling of the lifetime risk of a diagnosis of prostate cancer with little if any decrease in the risk of dying from this disease. In 1985, before PSA screening was available, an American man had an 8.7% lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and a 2.5% lifetime risk of dying from the disease.18 Twenty years later, in 2005, an American man had a 17% lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and a 3% risk of dying from prostate cancer."

The above statement is completely flawed in my opinion as who can possibly know what the lifetime risk of being diagnosed and risk of dying would be after 1985 if there were no screening in place,within the USA!

The 'modern' world where change in lifestyles,food,packaging and antiperspirants for example appear to be just a few factors that are adding to the increase in PC cases.


Think I've re-read enough of the two articles to know they are basically a cut and paste exercise without going deeper into each part they cite along with using emmotive language to push their own view forward,in some cases.

I do agree with some of their conclusions though but not the way they have gone about it!

The new AUA guidelines are just about right,in my opinion.