Updated Study Underscores Prostate Cancer Screening Saves Lives

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a comprehensive study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, PSA screening was shown to reduce the mortality rate of prostate cancer by 29 percent. The Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA), representing more than 1,800 urologists, stated that today's study confirmed what urologists and other healthcare providers have known for years — that PSA-based screening is a critical, valuable life-saving tool. The study "Prostate-Cancer Mortality at 11 Years of Follow-up" underscored the power of PSA-based screenings in saving lives from prostate cancer.

The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) studied 182,160 men between 50 and 74 years old, with a core age group of 162,388 men 55 to 69 years old. The trial was conducted in eight European countries. Men randomly assigned to the screening group were offered PSA screening. Men in the control group were not offered screening. The results showed that for all patients, there was a 21% survival advantage, and more importantly, for those with the longest follow-up (over 10 years) this increased to 38%.

"The ERSPC confirm what those caring for patients with prostate cancer have observed over the last two decades, that we are detecting cancer earlier and saving lives," said Dr. Kapoor, President of LUGPA and Chairman and CEO of Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC. "The decision on how to screen and treat prostate cancer should be made by patients and their doctors, and no government agency should try and restrict men's ability to control their own health care."

Those at the greatest risk for prostate cancer — such as African-American men, the underinsured, men living in rural areas, and men with a family history of prostate cancer, need most urgently to hear about the value of PSA screening and know that it can save their lives.

Further evidence of the effectiveness of prostate cancer screening in the United States is the statistics relating to prostate cancer mortality:  over the last two decades, the incidence of prostate cancer has remained stable, but the death rates from this disease have decreased by nearly 40 percent. Early detection is critical to the success of prostate cancer treatments.

Visit http://lugpa.org/about/press.aspx for more information about the value of PSA screening.

About
LUGPA represents 98 large urology group practices in the United States, with more than 1,800 physicians who make up more than 20 percent of the nation's practicing urologists. LUGPA and its member practices are committed to best practices, research, data collection, and benchmarking to promote quality clinical outcomes. Visit http://lugpa.org/default.aspx for more information about LUGPA.

SOURCE Large Urology Group Practice Association

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