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Tumour marker prescriptions for cancer screening in the Hellenic primary care
Author(s) -
VITTORAKI A.,
ALEXIOU G.,
KARAKATSANIS A.,
MAURI D.,
XILOMENOS A.,
ZACHARIAS G.,
KOUKOURAKIS G.,
HRYSOVALANTOUMARSONI EI.,
MILOUSIS A.,
ATHANASIADOU M.,
CHASIOTI D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
european journal of cancer care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1365-2354
pISSN - 0961-5423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2354.2006.00710.x
Subject(s) - medicine , carcinoembryonic antigen , medical prescription , cancer , gynecology , primary care , oncology , cancer screening , family medicine , human chorionic gonadotropin , psychological intervention , tumor marker , hormone , psychiatry , pharmacology
Tumour markers are neither sensitive nor specific enough for cancer screening. Despite established guidelines, tumour marker ‘screening myth’ may be alive among physicians, but no study has analysed the phenomenon. This study aims to investigate tumour marker recommendation for screening purposes in primary care setting. A total of 209 Hellenic physicians were surveyed for screening activities by a multiple‐choice questionnaire. Data were abstracted for the following tumour marker recommendations: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA); cancer antigens 19.9, 125 and 15.3; alpha‐fetoprotein and β‐human chorionic gonadotropin (β−HCG). A high rate of physicians advocate that tumour markers in cancer screening (range from 24% for β‐HCG to 46% for CEA).This phenomenon is not related to age, sex, type and level of physicians’ specialization. In conclusion, many physicians recommend tumour markers for screening purposes. This may be harmful, since their prescriptions unnecessarily burden health economics, and further evaluation of false‐positive findings might be associated with increased costs and risk from additional diagnostic/therapeutic interventions.