Screening
The issue of prostate cancer screening is controversial. In NZ, the majority of prostate cancers are diagnosed as a result of screening, either with a PSA blood test or with a digital rectal examination. In the US, randomized screening trials have yielded conflicting results.[16–18] Systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses have reported no clear evidence that screening for prostate cancer decreases the risk of death from prostate cancer, or that the benefits outweigh the harms of screening.[19,20]
In NZ the HRC Midlands Prostate Cancer Study was funded in 2010.
(Refer to the PDQ summary on Prostate Cancer Screening for a detailed summary of evidence regarding the benefits and harms of screening for prostate cancer.)