hK2 and free PSA, a prognostic combination in predicting minimal prostate cancer in screen-detected men within the PSA range 4-10 ng/ml.

Objectives: The purpose of screening for prostate cancer is to decrease the disease-specific mortality. However not every screen-detected prostate cancer is a threat to the patient's life. The risk of overdetection and subsequent overtreatment in prostate cancer has been recognised.

Overall and disease-specific survival of patients with screen-detected prostate cancer in the European randomized study of screening for prostate cancer, section Rotterdam.

Introduction: This report describes survival data of participants of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), section Rotterdam, diagnosed with prostate cancer (pCA) during the first round of screening, the prevalence screen.

Patients And Methods: pCA characteristics from cases diagnosed during the first screening round from December 1993 to March 2000 are shown. During follow-up, data were collected by semiannual patient chart review for the first 5 yr and annually thereafter.

4-year prostate specific antigen progression and diagnosis of prostate cancer in the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, section Rotterdam.

Purpose: The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer investigates the impact of screening on prostate cancer mortality and contributes to a better understanding of available screening tests. The present study evaluates the predictive value of a prostate specific antigen (PSA) increase to PSA 3.0 ng/ml or greater in a 4-year period in men who present with low PSA values (less than 3.

Additional use of [-2] precursor prostate-specific antigen and "benign" PSA at diagnosis in screen-detected prostate cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the adjuvant clinical use of [-2] precursor prostate-specific antigen ([-2]pPSA), which is associated with prostate cancer (PCa), and "benign" PSA, related to benign prostatic hyperplasia, in selecting a treatment strategy in patients with screen-detected PCa.

Methods: Research-use immunoassays (Beckman Coulter) were used to measure [-2]pPSA, sum [-7, -5, -4, and -2]pPSA, and benign PSA from the frozen serum of participants from the screen arm of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, section Rotterdam, diagnosed with PCa with a serum PSA level lower than 15 ng/mL. We compared men with relatively benign PCa (Epstein's criteria; group 1) and men with arbitrarily defined aggressive PCa characteristics (Gleason score greater than 4 + 4 and more than four cores with PCa invasion or pT3C disease; group 2).

Prostate carcinoma detection and increased prostate-specific antigen levels after 4 years in Dutch and Japanese males who had no evidence of disease at initial screening.

Background: In the current study, the authors set out to investigate the possibility that increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in Dutch and Japanese men without suspicious findings at initial prostate cancer screening were indicative of the risk of newly developing clinical malignancy in the Netherlands and Japan.

Methods: Between 1992 and 2000, 2650 men ages 55-74 years who had PSA levels < 4.0 ng/mL and no suspicious findings on digital rectal examination were entered into the current study from a population-based prostate cancer screening cohort in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.

Prostate cancer characteristics and prostate specific antigen changes in screening detected patients initially treated with a watchful waiting policy.

Purpose: We evaluated prostate cancer (PCa) characteristics at diagnosis and changes in prostatic specific antigen (PSA) with time in males with screening detected PCa that was initially managed with a watchful waiting policy.

Materials And Methods: Patients with histologically proven PCa and PSA less than 10 ng/ml were selected from the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, section Rotterdam. The choice of initiating a watchful waiting policy was patient desire or physician advice.

Prostate cancer detection in the prostate specific antigen range of 2.0 to 3.9 ng/ml: value of percent free prostate specific antigen on tumor detection and tumor aggressiveness.

Purpose: We evaluated the positive predictive value and cancer detection rate in the prostate specific antigen (PSA) range of 2.0 to 3.9 ng/ml and assessed the value of percent free (F) PSA (FPSA) on tumor detection and tumor aggressiveness in this low PSA range.

Prostate-specific antigen change in the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, section Rotterdam.

Objectives: To determine the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity, PSA slope, and PSA doubling time (PSADT) in men with positive biopsies, negative biopsies, and no biopsy indications 4 years after an initial screening; and to use this information to improve the test characteristics in the early detection of prostate cancer and provide normal values for these parameters in screened men with and without evidence of prostate cancer.

Methods: Within the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, section Rotterdam, we identified 9575 men with a second determination of PSA 4 years after the initial screening. These men were divided into three groups: men with positive biopsies, negative biopsies, and no biopsy indications in the second round (PSA less than 3.

Complication rates and risk factors of 5802 transrectal ultrasound-guided sextant biopsies of the prostate within a population-based screening program.

Objectives: To evaluate the complication rates and possible risk factors of biopsy of the prostate, with the aim of improving patient counseling and the safety of the procedure. Biopsy of the prostate has to be a relatively safe procedure and the participants have to be well informed about the possible complications.

Methods: Within the biopsy protocol of the Rotterdam section of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, we evaluated 5802 transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic sextant biopsies.