PSA-based screening reduced the rate of death from prostate cancer by 20% but was associated with a high risk of overdiagnosis. (Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN49127736.)

Background The European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) is a randomized multi-center trial with a predefined centralized database, analysis plan and core age group (55–69 years) evaluating prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in eight European countries. Methods The present results are based on prostate cancer (PCa) incidence and mortality truncated at 9, 11, and 13 years of follow-up in the intervention arm (offered PSA testing) relative to the control arm. A secondary analysis corrected for selection bias due to non-participation was performed. Because of incomplete follow-up, only incidence and no mortality data at 9 years follow-up are reported for the French centers. Findings The rate ratio (RR) of PCa incidence between the intervention and control arms was 1.91 after 9 years (1.64 including France), 1.66 after 11 years and 1.57 after 13 years. The RR of PCa mortality was 0.85, 0.78 and 0.79 at 9, 11 and 13 years respectively (95% confidence interval 13-year 0.69–0.91, p = 0.001). This corresponds to a relative risk reduction of 21% and an absolute risk reduction of death from PCa at 13 years of 0.11 per 1,000 person-years or 1.28 per 1,000 men randomized, which is equivalent to one PCa death averted per 781 men invited for screening or one per 27 additional PCa detected. PCa mortality reduction in screened men after adjustment for non–participation was 27%. Interpretation This update of ERSPC confirms a substantial PCa mortality reduction due to PSA testing, with a substantially increased absolute effect at 13 years compared to findings after 9 and 11 years. Funding All sources of funding per center are indicated in the “Web extra material” section. Trial identification This trial is registered under Current Controlled Trials number: ISRCTN49127736.

Summary Background Several trials have evaluated the effect of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening on prostate cancer (PC) mortality, with conflicting results. We report on the mortality in the European Randomized Trial of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) with two added years of follow-up. Methods The ERSPC is a randomized screening trial in men aged 50 – 74 years (N=182,160) at entry, with a predefined core age group of 55 – 69 years (N=162,388) conducted in eight European countries Men randomized to the intervention arm were offered prostate specific antigen (PSA)-based screening while those in the control arm were not offered screening. The primary outcome is PC mortality. Results After a median follow-up of 11 years the relative risk reduction for PC death in the intention to screen analysis was 21% (risk ratio 0.79, 95%CI 0.68 – 0.91, p=0.001), and 29% for screened men after correction for non-compliance in the core age group. The absolute difference in mortality amounted to 0.10 per 1000 person years or 1.07 per 1000 men randomized. The rate ratio of PC mortality during the follow-up years 10 -11 was 0.62 (95% CI 0.45 – 0.85, P=0.003). The numbers needed invite (NNI) and detect (NND) to prevent one PC death amounted to 1055 and 37 at 11 years of follow-up and 936 and 33 for the entire follow-up. There was no difference in all-cause mortality. Conclusions Two added years of follow-up consolidate our previous finding that PSA-based screening reduces PC mortality but does not affect all cause mortality. (The trial is registered in the ISRCTN registry under number 49127736.)

Background: The European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) has previously demonstrated that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening decreases prostate cancer (PCa) mortality. Objective: To determine whether PSA screening decreases PCa mortality for up to 16 yr and to assess results following adjustment for nonparticipation and the number of screening rounds attended. Design, setting, and participants: This multicentre population-based randomised screening trial was conducted in eight European countries. Report includes

Purpose: Circulating cell-free DNA in the blood of cancer patients harbors tumor-specific aberrations. Here, we investigated whether this DNA might also reflect the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC). Experimental Design: To identify the source of cell-free DNA in blood, plasma derived from 81 patients with prostate cancer was examined for CTCs and cell-free DNA. An epithelial immunospot assay was applied for detection of CTCs, and a PCR-based fluorescence microsatellite analysis with a panel of 14 polymorphic markers was used for detection of allelic imbalances (AI). Results: The plasma DNA levels significantly correlated with the diagnosis subgroups of localized (stage M0, n = 69) and metastasized prostate cancer (stage M1, n = 12; P = 0.03) and with the tumor stage of these patients (P < 0.005). AI was found on cell-free DNA in plasma from 45.0% and 58.5% of M0 and M1 patients, respectively. Detection of CTCs showed that 71.0% or 92.0% of the M0 and M1 patients harbored 1 to 40 CTCs in their blood, respectively.The occurrence of CTCs correlated with tumor stage (P < 0.03) and increasing Gleason scores (P = 0.04). Notably, significant associations of the number of CTCs with the AI frequencies at the markers D8S137 (P = 0.03), D9S171 (P = 0.04), and D17S855 (P = 0.02) encoding the cytoskeletal protein dematin, the inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinase CDKN2/p16 and BRCA1, respectively, were observed. Conclusions: These findings show, for the first time, a relationship between the occurrence of CTCs and circulating tumor-associated DNA in blood, which, therefore, might become a valuable new source for monitoring metastatic progression in cancer patients.