AUA Responds to USPSTF Draft Recommendations on Screening for Prostate Cancer

LINTHICUM, Md., April 11, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA), today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) draft recommendation statement on Screening for Prostate Cancer. The statement below is attributed to AUA President Richard K. Babayan, MD:

The AUA commends the USPSTF for its decision to upgrade its recommendation for prostate cancer screening to a "C" for men ages 55 to 69. The draft recommendations released today are thoughtful and reasonable, and are in direct alignment with the AUA's clinical practice guideline and guidelines from most other major physician groups – including the American Cancer Society, the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, all of which advocate for shared decision making.

We agree with the USPSTF that African American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer are at an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, and that they should discuss with their physicians the benefits and risks of testing in order to make a shared, informed decision about testing. Regarding the USPSTF's "D" rating for men over age 70, while we acknowledge that there is limited evidence in men in this age group and agree that many older men will not benefit from the test, we believe that selected older healthier men may garner a benefit from prostate cancer screening  and should therefore talk to their doctors about the benefits and risks of prostate cancer testing.

The USPSTF clearly utilized a more inclusive and transparent process in developing these draft recommendations. This process demonstrates how the Task Force, specialists, patients and the medical community as a whole can work together to develop recommendations that better reflect the clinical and research landscapes. We thank the USPSTF for implementing strategies to solicit feedback from the community on its research plan, and for engaging urologists to review the evidence report upon which these draft recommendations were based. We also applaud Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7), Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL-1) and other leading lawmakers who encouraged USPSTF to adopt a more transparent process that is inclusive of disease experts and other interested stakeholders.

We look forward to providing comments to the USPSTF concerning these draft recommendations and supporting its efforts to continue a more inclusive process to develop recommendations for preventive care services.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 21,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Contact: Wendy Isett, AUA
410-689-3789, [email protected]

SOURCE American Urological Association

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