[How is prostate cancer screening perceived by men 50 to 70 years of age? Analysis based on 1,774 screened individuals].

INTRODUCTION

The rationale for mass screening for prostate cancer remains controversial. Apart from the scientific debate, we wanted to evaluate the opinion of prostate cancer screening candidates concerning the practical modalities of this screening and assess the impact of various personal, medical or social factors on their replies.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Following a screening campaign in a French district, 1,774 men, 50 to 70 years of age, who completed screening were interviewed by questionnaire concerning the duration, frequency, mode of blood sampling and the cost of screening. Medical history, family history and lifestyle were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Among 1,774 candidates who returned an interpretable questionnaire during the screening campaign (participation rate: 31%), 27.1% of subjects interviewed declared that the personal financial cost would be an obstacle to screening, 5.1% considered that collection of a blood sample from the cubital fossa would be an obstacle to screening, 6.5% considered that one PSA per year was too frequent, and 8.1% considered that screening between the ages of 50 and 70 years was too long.

CONCLUSION

More than 90% of men who participated in a prostate cancer screening campaign appear to be in favour of continuation of screening according to the current modalities provided it is free of charge. The acceptance rate was better for men with a family history of prostate cancer, men who had already had a PSA assay, men living alone and men under 60 years of age.