Abstract

MAGALHAES, Marta; ALMEIDA, Joana; OLIVEIRA, José Eduardo  and  SILVA, Caroline. Patients’ knowledge of prostate cancer screening in a primary care clinic in the Porto region. Rev Port Med Geral Fam [online]. 2015, vol.31, n.2, pp.94-102. ISSN 2182-5173.

Objective: To assess patients’ knowledge of prostate cancer screening in a Family Health Unit in the North of Portugal (USF Camélias). Study Design: Cross sectional. Setting: USF Camélias. Population: Male patients between 40 and 75 years old in USF Camélias. Methods: From a population of 3067 males, a stratified random sample of 500 individuals was selected. We assessed patients’ knowledge of prostate cancer screening in a telephone survey. Results: Of the 308 men who completed the survey, 77.9% had heard about prostate specific antigen (PSA) (47.7% from their family doctor). Most stated that men should have a PSA test performed at least every two years starting at 40-50 years of age. Regarding digital rectal examination (DRE), 43.8% did not respond or claimed they did not know the recommendation for the examination. Conclusion: The patients surveyed had a moderate knowledge about prostate cancer screening. In order to better understand knowledge of prostate cancer screening in  Portugal, more studies in a wider setting are required.

Keywords : Prostate-specific Antigen; Screening; Knowledge.

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