New prostate cancer screening method shows promise in Finland

Recent research published in spring 2023 indicates that a new prostate cancer screening method, based on three tests, shows promise. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Finnish men, with age being a significant risk factor. The new screening method combines two blood tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), detecting more aggressive prostate cancers that require treatment compared to the currently used PSA test.

The method aims to enhance the benefits while minimizing the downsides of screening. Previous studies starting in the 1990s relied solely on the PSA test, which led to a high number of benign and slowly progressing cancer diagnoses, resulting in unnecessary treatments that could harm patients. The new method has reportedly found more aggressive cases and fewer indolent ones, suggesting it may offer greater benefits and reduced harms, according to Anssi Auvinen, a professor of epidemiology at Tampere University and head of a prostate cancer research center.

Initiated in 2018, this study is the largest ongoing prostate cancer research project globally, initially involving 65,000 men, now expanded to 115,000 men from Helsinki, Tampere, and surrounding areas. The study seeks to determine whether this new screening approach can reduce cancer mortality rates and avoid overdiagnosing harmless cancer forms. However, Auvinen cautions that it is too early to confirm whether this method will effectively lower prostate cancer mortality.

The comprehensive screening program’s establishment and maintenance would require significant resources, underscoring the necessity for conclusive evidence before implementation. Results from the study are expected to emerge over the coming years, with the first evaluations anticipated in ten years. Prostate cancer remains a critical public health issue, affecting approximately 5,000 Finnish men annually, with around 900 fatalities each year.