Decline in Prostate Cancer Screening by Primary Care Physicians: An Analysis of Trends in the Use of Digital Rectal Examination and Prostate Specific Antigen Testing

摘要

Purpose: Prostate cancer screening by digital rectal examination and prostate specific antigen testing has been routine clinical practice in the United States for the last 25 years. Recent studies have shown a national decline in prostate specific antigen testing following the USPSTF (United States Preventive Services Task Force) recommendation against routine prostate specific antigen screening. However, to our knowledge the effect of this recommendation on digital rectal examination utilization remains unknown.