Prostate cancer screening with Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing: A retrospective study

Objective: To evaluate the results of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test used in prostate cancer screening. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on a total of 1106 male individuals, including 615 people (55.6%) aged 40-54, 379 people (34.3%) aged 55-69, and 112 individuals (10.1%) aged 70 and over. In the study, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test results were performed on a total of 1106 male individuals aged 40 and over registered in the Uludag University Family Health Center, Bursa, Turkey during the 5-years between June 1, 2018, and May 31, 2023, were taken from the database and analyzed. Relationships with sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and risk factors were examined. Data was analyzed using SPSS 25. Results: About 15.5% of the participants were married, 78.4% were single, and 6% were separated from their spouses or widows. The PSA values of the patients referred to the urologist were found to be significantly different between the ages of 55 and 69. It was determined that the PSA levels of the patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer were higher than the patients without any finding, and the mean was 6.81±4.39 (p=0.01). Conclusion: In our study, it is important to diagnose benign prostatic hypertrophy or prostate cancer in patients aged 55-69 years, whose mean PSA levels were 6.81±4.39, and referred to a urologist. As a contribution to the discussions in the literature, we recommend that the patient with symptoms be referred to the urologist after the test request and the joint decision with the family physician. (author)