Man plan to continue getting PSA tests despite the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendation against screening, but just over one-third of men report shared decision making for screening with their physician, according to findings from two recently published studies.
The study examining the impact of the USPSTF recommendation, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2013; 45:182-9), surveyed 1,089 men 40 to 74 year of age who did not have a history of prostate cancer. The survey, conducted approximately 1 month after the task force initially released its recommendation in October 2011, measured men’s initial response to the recommendation. Men were shown the recommendation and asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with it and when/if they planned to get a PSA test. Men were also asked whether they were confident that the recommendation was based on the latest research.
