PSA Screening Cuts Prostate Cancer Mortality, Review Finds

A new systematic review of six large-scale trials involving nearly 800,000 men in Europe and North America has found that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing significantly lowers prostate cancer mortality rates. Published this week, the analysis provides moderate certainty of benefits for men with sufficient life expectancy, reversing earlier conclusions that questioned screening's effectiveness.

The review, which incorporated long-term follow-up data including a 23-year study of over 162,000 men, determined that PSA screening prevents one prostate cancer death for every 500 men tested, or roughly two deaths per 1,000 screened. Researchers noted this mortality reduction emerged clearly only after extended observation periods, highlighting the importance of prolonged monitoring in clinical trials.

Prostate cancer ranks among the most common cancers in men worldwide, and PSA testing aims to detect it early. However, its use has sparked debate due to risks of overdiagnosis—identifying slow-growing tumors that may never cause harm—and overtreatment, which can lead to complications like biopsy issues, sexual dysfunction, and urinary incontinence. The review confirmed a 30...