[Practice of precocious diagnosis for prostate cancer among professors of the school of medicine, Minas Gerais Federal University- Brazil].

BACKGROUND

The authors studied the practice of precocious diagnosis for prostate cancer among 289 professor-physicians of the School of Medicine, Minas Gerais Federal University, Brazil.

METHODS

Replies on these preventive practices were received from 135 professor-physicians through a confidential questionnaire administered.

RESULTS

Results show that 20.7% of the professor-physicians "fifty-one years old or more" never had a prostate preventive exam and 36.2% never had a rectal touch.

CONCLUSIONS

This data suggests the need for additional investigation and the attention of the health services.