Abstract C125: Prostate specific antigen testing patterns and prostate cancer stage at diagnosis in Ohio cancer patients
Authors: Patel Sajan , Koroukian Siran , Rose Johnie , Vu Long , Hartman Holly 
Published: December 2023

Summary Statement This study aims to: 1) examine patterns of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing — diagnostic or screening — across subgroups of prostate cancer (PCa) patients; and 2) analyze patterns of PSA testing in relation to PCa stage at diagnosis. Background Recommendations for PSA tests, blood-based screenings used for PCa detection, are issued by the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Changes in national recommendations, as well as demographic and clinical information can influence the likelihood of an individual receiving a PSA test, and the subsequent PCa diagnosis. Methods Using data from the 2014-2016 linked Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System (OCISS) and Medicare database, we categorized PSA testing  as diagnostic or screening, based on diagnosis and procedure codes. Bivariate analyses were conducted on several factors, including patient demographics, claims-based frailty measures, and certain social determinants of health, to evaluate their association with receipt of screening PSA and stage of PCa diagnosis. Two multivariable logistic regression models were created to identify factors associated with receipt of screening PSA test, and subsequently, of being diagnosed with distant stage PCa. Results After excluding individuals identified without any PSA testing in the three years prior to diagnosis (n = 964) and those with unknown staged cancer (n = 446), our final study population included 3034 Ohio men diagnosed with PCa between 2014-2016. The median age was 73 years. Being of older age at the time of PCa diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.95 [95% confidence interval: 0.94, 0.97]) was associated with significantly lower odds of being screened.  Compared to non-frail men, pre-frail patients (aOR: 0.69 [0.57, 0.84]) and patients with mild to severe frailty (aOR: 0.54 [0.39, 0.75]) also had decreased odds of being screened. History of receipt of screening PSA tests was associated with lower odds of being diagnosed with distant stage disease (aOR: 0.55 [0.42, 0.72]). On the other hand, being of older age at the time of PCa diagnosis (aOR: 1.14 [1.12, 1.17]), having moderate to severe frailty (compared to non-frailty) (aOR: 4.30 [2.38, 8.02]), and being separated or divorced (compared to being married) (aOR: 1.75 [1.06, 2.78]), were associated with increased odds of being diagnosed with distant stage disease. Conclusions Younger age and lower gradients of frailty were strongly associated with receipt of screening PSA.  In turn, receipt of screening PSA was associated with early stage PCa, while being older, having higher degrees of frailty, and being divorced or separated from a spouse, were associated with elevated odds of distant stage PCa. This study adds to existing evidence suggesting that PSA-based screening may promote earlier detection of prostate cancer in a real-world setting and challenges preexisting beliefs on the usefulness of PSA testing in older populations.  

Citation Format: Sajan Patel, Siran Koroukian, Johnie Rose, Long Vu, Holly Hartman. Prostate specific antigen testing patterns and prostate cancer stage at diagnosis in Ohio cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C125.