MENS ESTIMATES OF PROSTATE-CANCER RISK AND SELF-REPORTED RATES OF SCREENING

Objective: To determine rates of prostate cancer screening and predict ors of men's participation in this screening in the light of national recommendations against prostate cancer screening. Design: Community-b ased study (computer-assisted telephone survey). Setting: Central Sydn ey Area Health Service. Participants: Randomly selected men aged 40-80 years. Results: 340 men participated (65% response rate). White the t rue lifetime (0-74 years) risk of developing or dying from prostate ca ncer is reported to be one in 18 (6%) and one in 65 (1.5%), respective ly, 37% of respondents thought that at least one in five men (20%) wou ld develop prostate cancer before the age of 75 years and 11% that one in five (20%) would die from it. Twenty-two per cent of men aged 50 y ears or over had been screened for prostate cancer within the previous 12 months. Ever worrying about prostate cancer and bothersome urinary symptoms independently predicted the probability of screening within the previous year. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, occup ation and country of birth were not associated with screening. Conclus ions: Public health initiatives to discourage prostate cancer screenin g should focus particularly on men with bothersome urinary symptoms an d those who worry about prostate cancer. Accurate information about th e low risks of dying from prostate cancer needs to be communicated, an d the speculative nature of current evidence in support of screening a s a means of reducing this risk should be emphasised.