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The first phase of the Flint Men's Health Study (FMHS) in Michigan was a community-based epidemiologic study of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in African-Americans aged 40 to 79 years. An objective of the FMHS was to determine age-specified prostate specific antigen (PSA) reference ranges in a random population sample of African-American men without clinically evident prostate cancer. The FMHS study protocol included an initial in-home epidemiologic interview followed by PSA testing and a urologic examination of eligible subjects. Since the participation rate in the PSA phase of the study was under 60%, it was important to determine whether selectivity in participation biased the FMHS results for age-specific PSA distributions. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate selectivity in the sample of subjects who participated in the PSA testing and urologic examination. Younger men, with current urologic symptoms, and with a family history of prostate cancer were more likely to participate in the PSA testing and urologic examination. Linear regression analysis indicated that greater participation by African-American men without clinically evident prostate cancer but with obstructive or irritative lower urinary tract symptoms or a family history of prostate cancer did not bias the estimated age-specific reference ranges for total PSA concentrations and free-to-total PSA ratios.

Objectives: Previous studies have observed higher age-specific serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values in African-American (AA) men without prostate cancer compared to white men, leading some to recommend race-specific PSA reference ranges for the early detection of prostate cancer. The primary objective of the Flint Men's Health Study was to determine age-specific PSA reference values in a community-based sample of AA men, aged 40 to 79 years., Methods: A probability sample of 943 AA men was selected from households in Genesee County, Michigan. Men without a prior history of prostate cancer/surgery were invited to participate in a prostate cancer screening protocol, consisting of measurement of serum total PSA, free/total PSA ratio, and digital rectal examination. Sextant biopsies were recommended, based on total PSA greater than 4.0 ng/mL and/or an abnormal digital rectal examination., Results: From the sample of 943 men, 732 were eligible, 432 had blood drawn for PSA testing, and 374 completed all phases of the clinical examination. The 95th percentile PSA values were estimated to range from 2.36 ng/mL for men in the fifth decade to 5.59 ng/mL for men in the eighth decade. The 95th percentile values for age-specific PSA were comparable to those observed in a similar study of white men in Olmsted County, Minnesota. The median and 5th percentile values for free/total PSA did not vary significantly across age., Conclusions: The minor differences in PSA reference ranges between AA and white men may not be of sufficient magnitude to recommend the use of race-specific PSA reference ranges for screening.