Insight into Prostate Cancer Screening

Abstract

Early detection and early treatment are critical in decreasing Prostate cancer mortality. At present, the most excellent method for early detection of prostate cancer seems to be serum marker based screening. Given that early detection and appropriate treatment may do the most eradicate prostate cancer death, we started the mass screening for prostate cancer in Ohta district in Gunma prefecture in 1981 using the serum marker test, PAP. In 2003, 54 of 70 cities-towns-villages in Gunma prefecture conducted such screening, making it best in Japan. We have gotten several important results during the past 20 years. 1) PSA-based screening is the most appropriate system for prostate cancer mass screening. 2) Distincts that conduct screening definitively for the long time demonstrate a dramatic decrease in the proportion of stage D. 3) Survival in screened group is better than in the non-screened out-patient group. Our results assist those of Professor Bartch's group, that PSA-based screening decreased the mortality of prostate cancer in Tyrol, Austria. In the finale of my lecture, I surveyed and announced the main scientific papers from the department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, during the last 5 years, related to prostate cancer mass screening and early detection of prostate cancer.