In July 2010, a research team led by Jonas Hugosson, professor
in urology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, presented the results of
a large randomised study of screening for prostate cancer in
Gothenburg, with a 14-year follow up. The results were published
in the prestigious journal The Lancet Oncology. The study
included 10,000 men (the screening group) aged 50-64 years who
were randomly assigned to regular blood samples to check their
level of a prostate cancer marker known as PSA (Prostate-
Specific Antigen) every two years, and 10,000 men who were
randomly assigned not to be screened (the control group). The
study showed that regular PSA-screening nearly halved the
mortality from prostate cancer after 14 years. The screening
was, however, associated with a certain risk of over-diagnosis.
The study is one of five papers in the thesis presented by
Sigrid Carlsson, M.D., Ph.D. The thesis also includes an
investigation of the side-effects that screening caused. Most of
the men who were detected by screening to ha