OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical value of the mass screening by analyzing the features of prostate cancer between mass screening patients and clinical patients.

METHODSFrom January 2000 to January 2008, 441 cases of prostate cancer (including 122 patients from clinical diagnosis and 319 patients from mass screening 23 183 men who were more than 50 years old) were analyzed from age, digital rectal examination (DRE), serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and range, the Gleason's score and grade, clinical staging and therapy.

RESULTS42.0% of mass screening patients were inspected by DRE, it was lower than that (79.5%) in the clinical patients. The percent of patients with serum PSA levels of less than 10.0 microg/L in mass screening group was higher than in clinical group, while the percent of patients with serum PSA levels of more than 20.0 microg/L in mass screening group was lower than in clinical group. The percent of moderately differentiated degree of prostate cancer in mass screening group was higher than in clinical group, but it was on the contrary for poorly differentiated degree of prostate cancer. The percent of T1-2 prostate cancers in mass screening group was 56.1%, which was higher than 25.4% in clinical group. While, the percent of T3-4 tumors in mass screening group was lower than in clinical group. The percent of men undergoing radical prostatectomy in mass screening group was 18.2%, which was higher than 9.8% in clinical group. The percent of men of locally advanced and far metastasis in mass screening group was 26.0%, while was lower than 46.0% in clinical group.

CONCLUSIONGeneral investigation for prostate cancer is benefit to find asymptomatic cancer of early stage.