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Having isolated a test with prima facie relevance to entrapment of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle, we review the success of treatment focused on that pathogenetic mechanism. The FAIR test΄s sensitivity and specificity are calibrated. We then investigate whether the functional test is a better predictor of successful treatment than positive signs and symptoms. Some further support for the functional test΄s utility may be seen in the correlation between the amount of delay seen in the FAIR test and patients΄ clinical improvement on the VAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of the PSA test, screening for prostate cancer has become wide-spread practice. However, no evidence exists that screening for prostate cancer leads to a disease-specific mortality reduction. To provide evidence showing or excluding this mortality reduction, a large randomized trial was conducted in 1994, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC). A total of eight centres from Europe participated in this trial and so far a total of 267,994 men are randomized: 126,219 in the screening arm, 141,775 in the control arm. No final endpoint has been reached yet and the ERSPC is still ongoing. However, up to now the ERSPC has provided much data on screening tests and protocols, biopsy outcome and predictors and early detection of prostate cancer. This chapter describes the origin of the ERSPC, preliminary results, and the variety of aspects of screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer rates in the United States have changed radically over the last two decades. The introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening impacted incidence substantially; however, in the absence of randomized clinical trials, its role in the precipitous mortality decline remains unclear. Simultaneous advances in treatment, shifting patterns of care, and changing health behaviors may also have contributed to this decline. Two veins of investigation–-ecologic and modeling studies–-provide insights into the benefits and costs of PSA screening, with the latter positioned to help design optimal intervention policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]