PRAISE-U pilot in Lower Silesia detects 38% clinically significant prostate cancers
Over 4.6 thousand men underwent risk-stratified prostate cancer screening, resulting in 38% of detected tumors requiring treatment.
Dolnośląskie Centrum Onkologii, Pulmonologii i Hematologii tested over 4.6 thousand men aged 50–69 in Lower Silesia as part of the European PRAISE-U project, according to Nauka w Polsce naukawpolsce.pl
Nauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗. The initiative evaluates organized prostate cancer screening protocols designed by the European Association of Urology (EAU). Across the local cohort, 38% of all detected malignancies were clinically significant lesions requiring therapy.
The pilot sent approximately 53 thousand personal invitations, reaching participants via family physicians, local community actions, and a specialized mobile medical vehicle. Overall, PRAISE-U spans an almost three-year effort across 25 institutions in 12 countries, with testing sites also located in Ireland, Lithuania, and Spain.
Risk stratification protocol
The diagnostic algorithm begins with a blood test measuring prostate-specific antigen levels. If the measurement exceeds 3 ng/ml, the patient enters an individualized risk assessment to determine the necessity of magnetic resonance imaging. Biopsy is reserved exclusively for participants whose imaging and analytical data indicate the highest danger level.
Patients evaluated as low-risk despite elevated antigen levels avoid immediate imaging and biopsies, receiving a recommendation for a follow-up test in two years naukawpolsce.pl
Nauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗. In Lower Silesia, 43% of participants with elevated antigen readings were categorized as low risk.
Diagnostic accuracy and expansion
Among the biopsies conducted in the Polish cohort, 75% confirmed the presence of prostate cancer. Across all European pilot sites, biopsies were performed in only one out of five men with elevated PSA levels, and nearly three-quarters of those procedures confirmed a malignancy. The share of clinically significant tumors across Europe ranged from 19% in Lithuania to 80% in Galicia, Spain.
The initiative will continue under the PRAISE-U Plus phase, adding eight pilot centers across Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal, and Slovenia. Existing regional centers will advance to a second round of participant screening matched to individual risk profiles.
