Timely detection of prostate cancer (PCA) with prostate-specific antigens (PSA) and digital rectal examinations (DRE) are essential in optimizing incidence, minimizing prevalence, and reducing mortality rates. Given the low levels of participation in cancer screening, this study was conducted to examine the factors men consider when deciding whether to screen for PCA in Nigeria. A cross-sectional, online-based survey of 180 consenting Nigerian men 50 years old and older was carried out. Logistic regression analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Based on the data, there was a moderate positive association between the health belief model constructs and DRE/PSA screening intentions, which were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The results also demonstrated that there were no statistically significant associations between previous screening and age, previous screening and ethnicity, and previous screening and education among men in the sample (all p > 0.05). Of the 180 men surveyed, 29% (n = 53) had been screened for PCA before, while 76% (n = 137) reported no health insurance. Factors significantly associated with screening included income, insurance, and family history of PCA (all p < 0.05). Cancer fatalism, pain, and embarrassment were the most common barriers to screening reported. Focused interventions that help healthcare providers identify barriers quickly could improve screening outcomes. The implications for positive social change from this study include an increase in PCA screening, positive screening intentions, and a decrease in PCA mortality rate among men in Nigeria.

Serial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurements (PSA velocity) as an additional instrument to detect prostatic cancer was introduced in 1992. It has previously been reported that PSA increase per year differed in the last 5 years prior to diagnosis in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (0.18 ng/ml/year), locally confined (0.75 ng/ml/year) and metastasized (4.4 ng/ml/year) cancer of the prostate (CaP) in contrast to healthy men (0.04 ng/ml/year). The ability of PSA velocity to detect organ-confined CaP in patients with intermediate PSA serum values depends therefore on a reliable and reproducible PSA result. The present study comprised 85 men with PSA values between 3 and 8 ng/ml (Abbott IMx). PSA measurements were repeated with Abbott IMx (n = 85 patients) and Hybritech Tandem-E (n = 59 patients) assays. The PSA serum values differed from one examination to the other from 0.02 to 2.74 ng/ml with the Abbott IMx. Standard deviation amounted to 0.35 ng/ml with the Abbott IMx PSA assay. Using the Hybritech Tandem-E assay, mean standard deviation was 1.15 ng/ml and therefore higher than with the Abbott IMx assay. The difference from one test to the other ranged from 0.05 to 4.05 ng/ml with the Hybritech Tandem-E. Using the Abbott IMx assay, 10.6% of all repeat measurements exceeded 1 ng/ml whereas in the Hybritech Tandem-E assay 62.7% of the second measurements differed >1 ng/ml from the first PSA result. An increase in PSA serum values may therefore be due to intratest variation, physiological day-to-day variation as well as prostatic disease. It is important to notice that the intra-assay variation may be greater than the PSA increase per year in a patient with CaP. Therefore, PSA velocity seems to be of limited value. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Serial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurements (PSA velocity) as an additional instrument to detect prostatic cancer was introduced in 1992. It has previously been reported that PSA increase per year differed in the last 5 years prior to diagnosis in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (0.18 ng/ml/year), locally confined (0.75 ng/ml/year) and metastasized (4.4 ng/ml/year) cancer of the prostate (CaP) in contrast to healthy men (0.04 ng/ml/year). The ability of PSA velocity to detect organ-confined CaP in patients with intermediate PSA serum values depends therefore on a reliable and reproducible PSA result. The present study comprised 85 men with PSA values between 3 and 8 ng/ml (Abbott IMx). PSA measurements were repeated with Abbott IMx (n = 85 patients) and Hybritech Tandem-E (n = 59 patients) assays. The PSA serum values differed from one examination to the other from 0.02 to 2.74 ng/ml with the Abbott IMx. Standard deviation amounted to 0.35 ng/ml with the Abbott IMx PSA assay. Using the Hybritech Tandem-E assay, mean standard deviation was 1.15 ng/ml and therefore higher than with the Abbott IMx assay. The difference from one test to the other ranged from 0.05 to 4.05 ng/ml with the Hybritech Tandem-E. Using the Abbott IMx assay, 10.6% of all repeat measurements exceeded 1 ng/ml whereas in the Hybritech Tandem-E assay 62.7% of the second measurements differed >1 ng/ml from the first PSA result. An increase in PSA serum values may therefore be due to intratest variation, physiological day-to-day variation as well as prostatic disease. It is important to notice that the intra-assay variation may be greater than the PSA increase per year in a patient with CaP. Therefore, PSA velocity seems to be of limited value. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.