WASHINGTON, DC USA (UroToday.com) - Prostate cancer detection is closely linked to treatment in the US.
Despite the updated Bill-Axelson data that shows death due to prostate cancer at 15 years is 14% in the surgery group compared with 20% in the watchful waiting group, these populations differ greatly from patients in the US. Calculators are better than a single cut-point to determine the need for a prostate biopsy. Earlier but less frequent testing would identify more aggressive cancers and reduce overdiagnosis. PSA does not need to be every year and should start at age 40 or 45. All risk factors should be identified and applied to calculators. While early detection may, for example, decrease the death from CaP by 50%, the total number may be extremely small and thus we need not overestimate the benefit of early detection. The treatment should be tailored to the biology. However, according to work by Dr. Matthew Cooperberg of UCSF, treatment varies by geographic location in 30% of treatment distribution.
Presented by Peter Carroll, MD at the Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR)/Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) joint meeting during the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting - May 14 - 19, 2011 - Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC USA
Reported for UroToday by Christopher P. Evans, MD, FACS , Professor and Chairman, Department of Urology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.
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