PSA Screening Linked to Long-Term Reduction in Prostate Cancer Deaths

A large European study with more than 20 years of follow-up shows that PSA blood test screening significantly reduces deaths from prostate cancer. The research is part of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), which began in 1993 and included over 160,000 men from eight European countries. This is the longest and most comprehensive prostate cancer screening study to date, and its findings were recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The results confirm that men who undergo PSA screening have a lower risk of dying from prostate cancer, even decades later. However, the study also highlights an important challenge: overdiagnosis. For every prostate cancer death prevented, about twelve men were diagnosed with cancer, many of whom had slow-growing tumors that would not have caused symptoms or required treatment.

To address this issue, researchers are developing more precise screening strategies. One major ongoing project, the Gothenburg 2 study, is evaluating whether combining PSA testing with MRI can better identify aggressive cancers while avoiding unnecessary diagnoses. These efforts have influenced the European Union to recommend organized prostate cancer screening initiatives.

Overall, PSA testing has already helped halve prostate cancer mortality among men under 80 in recent years. The study supports the future development of risk-based, organized screening programs that balance early detection with reduced harm from overdiagnosis.

University of Gothenburg. (2025, December 16). PSA screening reduces prostate cancer mortality in long-term European study (J. Lundberg). https://www.gu.se/en/news/psa-screening-reduces-prostate-cancer-mortality-in-long-term-european-study