Dr Stone on the Association of Language Barriers and PSA Screening for Prostate Cancer

Benjamin V. Stone, MD, fellow, urologic oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, discusses the association between language barriers and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening rates in American men.

In a retrospective study presented at the 2023 American Urological Association Annual Meeting, Stone and colleagues utilized the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and identified men at least 55 years of age who do not speak English as a first language. Patients were stratified based on English proficiency (those who speak English very well vs well vs not well vs not at all).

Investigators collected data on whether these men had ever completed a PSA test, how long it had been since their last PSA test, and other socio-demographic and clinical baseline factors, Stone notes. The primary focus was on men who had reported never receiving a PSA test and how this related to their level of English proficiency, Stone explains.

Men who do not speak English were found to have a significantly lower rate of PSA screening, Stone continues. Findings showed that 79.6% of men who speak English very well reported receiving at least 1 lifetime PSA test; 58.4% of men who do not speak English at all received at least 1 PSA test. This pointed to a clear disparity in terms of access and knowledge of screening, Stone says.

Findings also showed that men who did not speak English well were significantly less likely to be screened, Stone continues. Investigators adjusted parameters for other factors, but men who did speak English were significantly less likely to be screened, Stone concludes.