Conquering fear factor stopping men from getting checked out

AAP: Prostate cancer will soon become the No.1 killer of Australian men, and experts are determined to conquer the fear factor stopping men from getting checked out. READ MORE>

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Phone counselling more effective than session with doctor when making prostate cancer decisions

URO TODAY: A computer-assisted phone counselling service giving advice about prostate cancer options may be more effective than discussing it with your doctor, a US medical school trial has found. READ MORE>

There was an increase in PSA knowledge, and in decisional satisfaction, a decrease in decisional conflict, and a general consistency of those decisions with the man’s values.

Among those initially who had not made a decision, 83.1% made a decision by [the] final survey with decisions equally for or against screening.

The [counselling] intervention provides realistic, unbiased and effective decision support for men facing a difficult and confusing decision.

Our intervention could potentially replace a discussion of PSA testing with the primary care provider for most men.

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Getting a regular PSA test depends on your socio-economic status

URO TODAY: Older men (75+) with health insurance, or who are satisfied with life, or always had emotional support are significantly more likely to get a regular PSA test for cancer, US researchers report. READ MORE>

However, men who had no routine health checkup; were divorced, widowed, or separated; or had less than a high school education were significantly less likely to report having had a PSA test

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Men still not getting right information about prostate cancer

TIMES RECORD: Terry Kungel feels his father received a mixed message about prostate cancer and his treatment options, and more than 40 years later, he worries that men are still not receiving the right information. READ MORE>

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Prostate cancer screening works, according to Finnish study of 80,000 men

URO TODAY: Screening for prostate cancer decreases the incidence of advanced prostate cancer, according to a Finnish year-long study of 80,000 men. READ MORE>

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UK study looks at health check behaviour of cancer survivors

URO TODAY: Cancer survivors are more likely to undergo a bone density scan, flu vaccination, and cholesterol testing than those who haven’t had cancer, a big UK study has found. READ MORE>

Prostate cancer survivors are less likely to have their blood pressure tested, according to the analysis. Breast cancer survivors are less likely to receive a blood pressure or cholesterol evaluation.

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Oz paper on doctor-patient prostate cancer discussions worth revisiting in current GP advice debate

PROSTABLOG NZ: How best to advise doctors on what they should tell their patients about prostate cancer testing is a key issue facing the Parliamentary inquiry in NZ – but they’re not alone in their deliberations.

A global debate is going on about whether men are being properly counselled, whether they should be tested, whether they should even be told about testing.

A recent report in the US Archives of Internal Medicine referred to some Australian research produced last year that asked men about their doctor-patient discussions on prostate cancer. It’s worth revisiting:

Patient knowledge, interest in being screened, and anxiety associated with considering the benefits and limitations with prostate cancer screening may all influence the manner in which patients interact with their doctor and what role is adopted during the decision-making process. READ MORE> and HERE>

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Are men getting all the advice they need when deciding what to do about prostate cancer?

WALL STREET JOURNAL: A new study raises the question of whether patients facing prostate screening and their health-care professionals are engaging in shared decision making, and what such a collaboration should look like. READ MORE>

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Accuracy of prostate cancer biopsies may be affected by type of probe used

URO TODAY: The end-fire transrectal ultrasound probe improves biopsy detection rate of prostate cancer compared to the side-fire probe. READ MORE>

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Advice for GPs unsure what to tell men about prostate cancer screening

AUGUST 5: AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: In an effort to resolve confusion about what men need to be told about prostate cancer screening, the American College of Physicians has published advice to GPs about what they should advise patients. READ MORE>

For patients potentially interested in prostate cancer screening, physicians should engage them in shared decision-making; this is of even greater importance given the outcomes of the recent reports from the US
and European screening studies.

It is difficult for physicians to provide comprehensive and balanced information concerning prostate cancer screening decisions during a brief clinic visit.

The American College of Physicians has published a useful summary of discussion points to consider when counseling patients about prostate cancer screening:

● Prostate cancer is an important health problem.
● The benefits of one–time or repeated screening and aggressive treatment of prostate cancer have not yet been proven.
● DRE and PSA measurements can have both false–positive and false–negative results.
● The probability that further invasive evaluation will be required as a result of testing is relatively high.
● Aggressive therapy is necessary to realize any benefit from the discovery of a tumour.
● A small but finite risk for early death and a significant risk for chronic illness, particularly with regard to sexual and urinary function, are associated with these treatments.
● Early detection may save lives.
● Early detection and treatment may avert future cancer–related illness.

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