Screening for Prostate Cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement DRAFT

Note: This draft Recommendation Statement is not the final recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. This draft is distributed solely for the purpose of pre-release review. It has not been disseminated otherwise by AHRQ. It does not represent and should not be interpreted to represent an AHRQ determination or policy. This draft Recommendation Statement is based on an evidence review that was published on October 7, 2011 (available at http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf12/prostate/prostateart.htm). The USPSTF makes recommendations about the effectiveness of specific clinical preventive services for patients without related signs or symptoms. It bases its recommendations on the evidence of both the benefits and harms of the service, and an assessment of the balance. The USPSTF does not consider the costs of providing a service in this assessment. The USPSTF recognizes that clinical decisions involve more considerations than evidence alone. Clinicians should understand the evidence but individualize decisionmaking to the specific patient or situation. Similarly, the USPSTF notes that policy and coverage decisions involve considerations in addition to the evidence of clinical benefits and harms. This draft Recommendation Statement is available for comment from October 11, 2011 until November 8, 2011 at 5:00 PM ET. You may wish to read the entire Recommendation Statement before you comment.