Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening According to Health Professional Counseling and Age in the United States

BACKGROUND: In 2018, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended that PSA screening for prostate cancer involve men aged 55–69, based on a personal decision following consultation with a health professional. PSA screening in men aged 70 or older should only occur if symptoms exist. This study identifies the association between having a PSA test in the past two years and whether or not there was consultation with a health professional about the benefits and/or harms of PSA screening. METHODS: Analyses were based on data involving men aged 40 years or older, who responded to PSA related questions in the 2018 BRFSS survey. RESULTS: Approximately 32.0% (14.6% for ages 40–54, 41.7% for ages 55–69, and 49.8% for ages 70 years and older) of respondents had a PSA test in the past two years. Approximately 81.7% of these men had talked with a health professional about the benefits and/or harms of PSA screening, with 42.4% having discussed the benefits and harms, 54.6% having discussed the benefits only, and 3.0% having discussed the harms only. The odds of a PSA test in the past two years in men having talked with a health professional about the benefits and harms of the test versus no talk are 10.1 (95% CI 9.3–10.8), in men who talked with a health professional about the benefits only versus no talk are 10.8 (95% CI 10.0–11.6), and in men who talked with a health professional about the harms only versus no talk are 3.9 (95% CI 2.9–5.1). CONCLUSION: PSA screening is most common in men aged 70 or older, which is counter to the US Preventive Task Force recommendation. Most men having a PSA test have talked with a health professional about the test, but the talks tended to focus on just the benefits of screening and not both potential benefits and harms.