Eighteen-year follow-up of the Göteborg Randomized Population-based Prostate Cancer Screening Trial: effect of sociodemographic variables on participation, prostate cancer incidence and mortality

AbstractObjective: This study examined whether previously reported results, indicating that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening can reduce prostate cancer (PC) mortality regardless of sociodemographic inequality, could be corroborated in an 18 year follow-up.Materials and methods: In 1994, 20,000 men aged 50–64 years were randomized from the Goteborg population register to PSA screening or control (1:1) (study ID: ISRCTN54449243). Men in the screening group (n = 9950) were invited for biennial PSA testing up to the median age of 69 years. Prostate biopsy was recommended for men with PSA ≥2.5 ng/ml. Last follow-up was on 31 December 2012.Results: In the screening group, 77% (7647/9950) attended at least once. After 18 years, 1396 men in the screening group and 962 controls had been diagnosed with PC [hazard ratio 1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39–1.64]. Cumulative PC mortality was 0.98% (95% CI 0.78–1.22%) in the screening group versus 1.50% (95% CI 1.26–1.79%) in controls, an absolute reductio...