The European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) showed a reduction in prostate cancer mortality of 21% for PSA-based screening at a median follow-up of 11 years.
In the ERSPC, men are screened at 4-year intervals. A prostate biopsy is recommended for men with a PSA level ≥3.0 ng/mL. The study shows that the positive predictive value (PPV) of a prostate biopsy indicated by PSA-based screening remains equal throughout consecutive screening rounds in men without a previous biopsy. In men who have previously had a benign biopsy, the PPV drops considerably, but 20% of the cancers detected still show aggressive characteristics.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the positive predictive value (PPV) of prostate biopsy, indicated by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) threshold of ≥3.0 ng/mL, over time, in the Rotterdam section of the European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the Rotterdam section of the ERSPC, a total of 42 376 participants, aged 55-74 years, identified from population registries were randomly assigned to a screening or control arm. For the ERSPC men undergo PSA screening at 4-year intervals. A total of three screening rounds were evaluated; therefore, only men aged 55-69 years at the first screening were eligible for the present study.
RESULTS: PPVs for men without previous biopsy remained equal throughout the three subsequent screenings (25.5, 22.3 and 24.8% respectively). Conversely, PPVs for men with a previous negative biopsy dropped significantly (12.0 and 15.2% at the second and third screening, respectively). Additionally, in men with and without previous biopsy, the percentage of aggressive prostate cancers (clinical stage >T2b, Gleason score ≥7) decreased after the first round of screening from 44.4 to 23.8% in the second (P < 0.001) and 18.6% in the third round (P < 0.001). Repeat biopsies accounted for 24.6% of all biopsies, but yielded only 8.6% of all aggressive cancers.
CONCLUSIONS: In consecutive screening rounds the PPV of PSA-based screening remains equal in previously unbiopsied men. In men with a previous negative biopsy the PPV drops considerably, but 20% of cancers detected still show aggressive characteristics. Individualized screening algorithms should incorporate previous biopsy status in the decision to perform a repeat biopsy with the aim of further reducing unnecessary biopsies.
Written by:
Bokhorst LP, Zhu X, Bul M, Bangma CH, Schröder FH, Roobol MJ. Are you the author?
Department of Urology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Reference: BJU Int. 2012 Oct 8. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11481.x
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23043563
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