URINARY SYMPTOMS AS A PREDICTOR FOR PARTICIPATION IN PROSTATE-CANCER SCREENING AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN

BACKGROUND. There are minimal data on the influence of urinary symptom s and participation in prostate cancer screening in African American m en. METHODS. This correlational study examined the influence of urinar y symptoms on 1) participation in a free prostate cancer screening pro gram and 2) abnormal screening results. The 1,402 African American men in the South Carolina Prostate Cancer Project (SCPCP), mean age of 50 years, completed a survey that included self-reported urinary symptom s, participated in a prostate cancer educational program, and received a free prostate cancer screening consisting of a digital rectal exami nation (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) from their personal p hysician. RESULTS. One in 5 men reported the presence of urinary sympt oms. Over 60% of the 1,402 men participated in the free CaP screening. Among the 852 men who participated in the fr ee prostate cancer scree ning, 73 (8.6%) had abnormal screening results as classified by abnorm al DRE and/or PSA > 4.0 ng/ml. Urinary symptoms were significant predi ctors, both of participation in screening (OR = 1.30, CI = 1.00, 1.70) and of obtaining an abnormal screening result (OR = 1.78, CI = 1.17, 2.72). CONCLUSIONS. Prostate cancer health education needs to include the fact that prostate cancer, in its early stages, has no urinary sym ptoms. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.