General practitioner perception of prostate-specific antigen testing has improved, but more awareness of prostate cancer risk in younger patients is still awaited.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In 2006, a county-wide survey of general practitioners (GPs) in the United Kingdom (UK) identified a reluctance to refer younger men with abnormal prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Younger men have the most to gain from early-detection of prostate cancer (PCa), which remains a national government priority in the UK and around the world. We sought to assess changes in perception of abnormal PSA-values amongst UK GPs over the past 10 years.

Materials and methods

A total of 500 self-administered paper questionnaires were distributed to individually named GPs. One hundred and forty two responded (28.4%), representing a patient population of ∼600,000. A series of visual analogue questions assessed referral thresholds and understanding of risk factors related to t

SUBMITTER: Thurtle DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6004706 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature