Should baseline PSA testing be performed in men aged 40 to detect those aged 50 or less who are at risk of aggressive prostate cancer?

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the presenting features and treatment outcome of prostate cancer in men aged <50 years, in a region where prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening is not readily available and most men present with symptoms.
METHODS: We analysed the data of 1 571 men with prostatic adenocarcinoma treated between January 1997 and December 2008 at out institution, a tertiary level public secotr hospital serving a largely indigent population. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's, the Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests where appropriate (p<0.05 accepted as statistically significant).
RESULTS: Of 1 571 men, 47 (3%) were aged < 50 years. The group aged <50 years compared with that aged >50 years, had a siginificantly greater proportion with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (53%), locally advanced (stage T3-4) tumours (56%), haematogenous metastases (75%), significantly higher serum PSA at diagnosis (mean 621, median 74 ng/ml) and shorter survival.
CONCLUSION: Men aged <50 years presenting with symptoms owing to prostate cancer had significantly higher risk disease, higher mean PSA, and poorer prognosis than men aged >50 years. To diagnose prostate cancer at a potentially curable stage in men aged <50 years, it is necessary to initiate asleine PSA testing at age 40 and 45 years, and to select high-risk men for PSA surveillance in order to diagnose potentially curable cancer in those with a life expectancy >20-25 years.