Prostate cancer screening : A survey of attitudes and practices among Finnish physicians in 1999 and 2007

<p>Objective To evaluate the attitudes and practices related to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer (PC) among Finnish physicians in 1999 and 2007. Materials and methods The first questionnaire survey was conducted in 1999 with a mailing to 102 urologists, 679 community physicians and 684 occupational health physicians identified from the membership files of three medical associations. The area of residence was divided into the study area of the Finnish PC screening trial and the rest of Finland. The second survey was carried out in 2007 targeting 168 urologists, 1039 community physicians and 938 occupational health physicians. Results The response proportion was 48% in 1999 and 50% in 2007. In both rounds, urologists regarded PC as a more important public health issue than other physicians. On the other hand, the non-urologists considered early diagnosis and screening more important than the urologists. PC was rated by all physicians as a less important public health problem in 2007 than in 1999. A smaller proportion of urologists found routine PSA testing indicated for asymptomatic men, compared with other physicians (40% versus 74-60% in 1999, P <0.001 and 35% versus 44- 37% in 2007, P = 0.005). The proportion of physicians reporting regular PSA screening in asymptomatic men was reduced from 1999 to 2007 (from 18% to 9%, P <0.0001). Conclusion Based on reported practices of Finnish urologists, community physicians and occupational health physicians, popularity of PSA testing declined between 1999 and 2007. Urologists found PSA testing among asymptomatic men justified less frequently than the other physicians.</p>