Survey Results on the Perception of Prostate-Specific Antigen and Prostate Cancer Screening Among the General Public

Abstract

Purpose To assess awareness of prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening in high risk Korean men 40 years and older. Materials and Methods The Korean Urological Oncology Society implemented an online survey of 600 men aged 40 years or older from July 30 to August 6, 2019 to ask questions about prostate cancer and screening. Results Of the 600 respondents, 96.5% (579 of 600) were aware of prostate cancer and 49.8% (299 of 600) thought they were at risk. Men in their 60s, men with a family history and men with urological conditions were more concerned about prostate cancer. Most respondents (83.3%, 500 of 600) had never received prostate cancer screening. When asked why they had not, (multiple choices: first, second and third priority), the most common responses were: "They had no symptoms of prostate cancer"; "They were in good health"; "Cost burden of screening"; and "They thought screening was included in the National Health Examination Program." Only 9.7% (58 of 600) were aware of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). After being informed about PSA, 97.7% (586 of 600) wanted it to be included in national cancer screening. Conclusions In this survey, 96.5% of respondents were aware of prostate cancer, and 44.2% recognized the need for early screening. However, only 16.7% had received screening. Awareness of prostate cancer risks tended to be high in elderly people, people with a family history and people with urological conditions. The results also indicate that there is support for national-level management and early screening programs for prostate cancer. Key Words: Prostate cancer; Prostate-specific antigen; Screening test.