Incidence rates of early prostate cancer have continued to drop since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in all men, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology.

The USPSTF recommendation was released in draft form in 2011 and in final form in 2012. A decline in early prostate cancer incidence rates from 2011 to 2012 has been previously reported.

Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society, Atlanta, and coauthors used a publicly available database for incidence data on invasive prostate cancer diagnosed from 2005 through 2013. The men were 50 and older and lived in 18 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries that covered about 28 percent of the U.S. population.

From 2012 to 2013, the localized/regional-stage prostate cancer incidence rates per 100,000 men declined from 356.5 to 335.4 in men 50 to 74 and from 379.2 to 353.6 in men 75 and older, according to the study. The authors note the decrease from 2012 to 2013 was smaller than that from 2011 to 2012 (6 percent vs. 19 percent).

Previously reported findings indicate PSA testing rates decreased significantly between 2010 and 2013. Other factors that could contribute to the decline in incidence rates for early stage prostate cancer include changes in the prevalence of unknown risk factors and preventive measures.

"In conclusion, the decrease in early-stage prostate cancer incidence rates from 2011 to 2012 in men 50 years and older persisted through 2013 in SEER registries, albeit at a slower pace. Whether this pattern will lead to a future increase in the diagnosis of distant-stage disease and prostate cancer mortality requires long-term monitoring because of the slow-growing nature of this malignant neoplasm," the research letter concludes.