Men's attitudes toward prostate cancer and seeking prostate-specific antigen testing.

Abstract Background. Although the Australian Cancer Society recommends against performing PSA tests to screen for prostate cancer, many Australian men currently undergo such screening. This study investigated attitudinal variables that may predict prostate cancer screening behaviors in this context. Methods. A questionnaire was administered by mail in a two‐phase procedure, first to a sample of 1,461 men (46% response), then to 919 men from the initial sample. Prostate cancer screening behaviors of men > 40 years old were examined. The questionnaire assessed worry about prostate cancer, perceived vulnerability to prostate cancer, belief in the efficacy of PSA testing for detection, having received a PSA test for detection, and the presence of urologic symptoms at the time of testing. Results. Men who had had PSA testing with urologic symptoms at the time of the test were more worried about prostate cancer and perceived themselves as more vulnerable to prostate cancer compared with both asymptomatic tested...