Introduction.Prostate cancer is a malignant neoplasm originating primarily in the peripheral zone of the prostate gland. A patient’s survival depends largely on the stage of the disease and the treatment method used, which is why early detection of the tumour plays an important role. One of the methods used for screening for prostate cancer is the measurement of prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration.
Material and methods.The analysis was based on the results of the research found in the systematic review. The following sources of medical information were searched for secondary research: Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid), The Cochrane Library. The time range has been set to articles published between July 2011 and July 2021.
Results.The inclusion criteria for a systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of PSA measurements in the early detection of prostate cancer were met by 5 secondary scientific evidence articles. Most of the evidence found showed an increase in the detection of prostate cancer after PSA testing. In case of stage III or IV tumours and the metastatic prostate cancer (CaP) variant, a statistically significant reduction in tumour detection was demonstrated. Most of the scientific evidence indicates a statistically insignificant effect of PSA screening on the risk of death due to CaP (with a diagnostic threshold of ≥4 ng/ml).
Conclusions.Screening in the opportunistic variant aimed at prostate cancer with the use of PSA concentration is justified in men between 50 and 69 years of age, and in men <50 years of age should they have additional risk factors. Conversely, it seems unjustified to conduct population-based screening for prostate cancer
