Open AccessProstate‐specific antigen testing rates and referral patterns from general practice data in England
Author(s) -
Moss S.,
Melia J.,
Sutton J.,
Mathews C.,
Kirby M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1742-1241
pISSN - 1368-5031
DOI - 10.1111/ijcp.12784
Subject(s) - medicine , referral , prostate specific antigen , prostate cancer , primary care , general practice , test (biology) , family medicine , gynecology , cancer , paleontology , biology
Summary Background There is currently no national screening programme for prostate cancer in England, but eligible men can request a prostate‐specific antigen ( PSA ) test from their general practitioner ( GP ). There are no routinely available data to monitor the extent of PSA testing and referral. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of PSA testing in general practice and subsequent patterns of referral. Design and setting Data obtained from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink ( CPRD ) for men aged 45–84 years who had a PSA test during 2010–2011, registered in practices in England with linked Hospital Episode Statistics ( HES ) data. Method Patient data were linked to previous tests and consultations. Rates of PSA testing and proportions of men retested and referred to secondary care were calculated. Results Overall, 8.74 (95% CI 8.67–8.82) of men per 100 person‐years were tested at least once in 2010, and 9.45 (95% CI 9.37–9.53) in 2011. Rates increased with age and decreased with increasing level of deprivation. Of the 53,069 men tested in 2010, 11,289 (21.3%) had a previous PSA test within the past 12 months. Of men with raised PSA according to age specific guidelines, 22.4% (2113/9425) were referred to secondary care within 14 days, with 36% of the remainder retested within 6 months. Conclusions Rates of PSA testing have increased compared with earlier studies; the data suggest that many GP s are retesting men with raised PSA rather than referring immediately. More routine data on PSA testing, including reasons for testing, and subsequent management and outcomes, are required.