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Screening for Prostate Cancer
This topic is in the process of being updated. Please go to the Update in Progress section to see the latest documents available.
This topic page summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for prostate cancer.
Current Recommendation
Release Date: August 2008
- The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening in men younger than age 75 years.
Grade: I Statement. - The USPSTF recommends against screening for prostate cancer in men age 75 years or older.
Grade: D Recommendation.
Supporting Documents
Recommendation Statement (PDF File, 210 KB; PDF Help)
Supporting Article (PDF File, 195 KB; PDF Help)
Evidence Synthesis (PDF File, 420 KB; PDF Help)
Clinical Summary (PDF File, 115 KB; PDF Help)
Letter to the Editor and Response From the USPSTF
Video: How to Talk with Your Patients When Evidence Is Insufficient (3:40 minutes, Windows Media®)
Note: If you cannot see the captioning in Windows Media® Player, press "CTRL + SHIFT + C" (or select: Play > Captions and Subtitles > Captions).
Update in Progress
In an effort to make the USPSTF recommendations clearer and its processes more transparent, the Task Force is sharing drafts of many of its documents for public comment, including draft Research Plans and draft Recommendation Statements. As a result, the final Recommendation Statement is not yet available.
Supporting Documents
Research Plan
USPSTF members work with researchers from an independent Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) to create a Research Plan that guides the systematic review of the evidence. The Research Plan consists of an analytic framework, key questions, and a literature search strategy or research approach.
- The USPSTF began posting draft Research Plans for public comment in November 2011. At the time this topic's Research Plan was developed, the opportunity for submitting public comment was not available.
Evidence Report
The research team at the EPC independently gathers and reviews the available published evidence to address the questions posed by the USPSTF. The resulting draft Evidence Report is critiqued by national subject matter experts before being finalized.
| Evidence Report | Related Items |
|---|---|
| Final Evidence Report (PDF File, 201 KB; PDF Help) | Evidence Synthesis, Screening (PDF File, 783 KB; PDF Help) |
| Evidence Synthesis, Treatment (PDF File, 1.8 MB; PDF Help) |
Recommendation Statement
The USPSTF reviews the Evidence Report, evaluates the benefits and harms of the clinical preventive service, and discusses and develops one or more preliminary specific recommendations. The resulting draft Recommendation Statement is posted on this Web site for public comment before being finalized.
| Recommendation Statement | Public Comment Period |
|---|---|
| Draft Recommendation Statement for Public Comment* | October 11–November 8, 2011 November 30–December 13, 2011 |
* Note: Draft Recommendation Statements are by their nature not final, and should not be interepreted as to represent official USPSTF recommendations for practice. Draft Recommendation Statements are provided by the USPSTF for informational purposes only.
Current as of February 2012
Internet Citation:
Screening for Prostate Cancer, Topic Page. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsprca.htm
USPSTF Program Office |
