Recent studies have shown that de novo metastatic prostate cancer incidence in the U.S. increased from 2010 to 2019. Plausible explanations include delayed detection following recommendations against prostate cancer screening or upstaging associated with use of more sensitive imaging technologies. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results cases and controlling for aging of the population, we found the median age and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at prostate cancer diagnosis increased by 1.4 years of age (95% CI 1.3-1.5) and 1.4 ng/mL (95% CI 1.4-1.5) over this period, consistent with the delayed detection hypothesis. Racial differences were noted, with 75th percentiles of PSA at diagnosis increasing by 4.3 ng/mL (95% CI 3.7-4.8) over this time period for non-Hispanic Black men compared to 3.0 ng/mL (95% CI 2.8-3.2) for non-Hispanic White men. Overall, patient characteristics at diagnosis suggest that delayed detection contributed at least in part to increases in de novo metastatic disease.
JNCI cancer spectrum. 2024 Oct 23 [Epub ahead of print]
Lukas Owens, Ojas Brahme, Roman Gulati, Ruth Etzioni
Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.