Patient perceptions of the risks, effectiveness, and importance of PSA testing for prostate cancer screening in men aged 41 to 80: N = 57.
| QUESTIONS | ANSWERS, N (%) |
|---|---|
| Potential risks of any screening test include the following: unnecessary anxiety, inaccurate findings, negative side effects of resulting biopsies and treatment, and discovering disease that will not cause death or dysfunction. How risky is the PSA blood test, when used as a screening test for prostate cancer? | |
| • Not risky | 54 (95)* |
| • Risky or very risky | 3 (5) |
| How good is the PSA blood test at preventing death from prostate cancer? | |
| • Not good | 18 (32) |
| • Good or very good | 39 (68)† |
| How important to your health is it to do the PSA blood test? | |
| • Not important | 12 (21) |
| • Important or very important | 45 (79)‡ |