Prostate cancer is a major cause of death among men in European countries, with nearly 145 000 cases and 56 000 deaths in the European Union in 1998. Rates of incidence vary considerably among countries (Table 1), and appear to be increasing because of more frequent and better diagnostic tests, an aging population and probably a true increase in incidence (1). There are no obvious strategies to prevent this disease, so screening has been considered as a possible intervention to reduce the number of deaths. “Screening” means applying a test to a defined group of persons in order to.
