Population Based Screening for Prostate Cancer: assessment of diagnostic tools and cancers detected
Year: 1998
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Over the past decade, considerable debate has occurred over the question whether\nor not to screen asymptomatic men for prostate cancer. It is unknown whether\nearly detection and treatment of the disease will decrease the disease specific mortality.\nOn theoretical grounds screening may prove to be successful. If the disease is diagnosed\nat an earlier stage of its development in which it is still organ-confined; treatment of the\ndisease has a higher chance of being curative. Comparisons have been made [1, 2]with\nthe effective strategy [3, 4J of breast cancer screening. Similar parallels however, can be\ndrawn between prostate and lung cancer screening in which a shift towards earlier\n(potentially curable) stage did not reduce ti,e disease specific mortality in screenees [5].\nTo conduct a randomized screening study with prost.lte cancer mortality as the major\nendpoint is one possible solution to the present controversy. For this purpose the\nEuropean Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) has been\ninitiated [6]. The studies presented in this thesis are conducted within the Rotterdam\nsection of the ERSPC to investigate the feasibility of screening and early detection of\nprostate cancer in the general population. Intermediate endpoints of the study are:\n1. Assessment of the efficiency of the screening tests. Serum Prostate Specific Antigen\n(PSA) Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and Transrectal Ultrasonography (TRUS).\n2. To evaluate the morbidity related to the screening procedure.\n3. To study tumor extent at the time of diagnosis.
Author: John Rietbergen
Language: English
Subfield: Urology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1490710717