Dr. Carlsson’s research is focused on screening and early detection of prostate cancer. She is an investigator in the world’s largest randomized study of screening for prostate cancer, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer. Dr. Carlsson’s research aims at finding a better balance between the harms and benefits of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, through the use of multiplex testing and risk-stratified strategies that incorporate clinical information, biomarkers and magnetic resonance imaging. Her work on how the benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening varies by PSA levels at age 60 and how re-screening intervals can be adapted accordingly, was published in the British Medical Journal and has helped inform the screening guidelines in place at MSK as well as national guidelines. Dr. Carlsson is funded by a K22 career development award from the National Cancer Institute to study the psychology of decision making to better understand patients’ information needs, which will facilitate the development of better decision aids and lead to improved shared decision making.
er PhD thesis stemmed from the world’s largest study of prostate cancer screening, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), which investigated how quality of life was affected by screening and treatment. Currently, Dr. Carlsson’s research focuses on developing risk-stratified approaches to screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of prostate cancer patients. She is also the PI of a study funded by the Patty Brisben Foundation to improve the method of asking questions about women’s sexual health. She is a co-investigator on a multi-center study funded by Movember (PI: Andrew J. Vickers, PhD) that evaluates the impact of survivorship care plans and navigation tools on patients with prostate cancer after radiotherapy. She is a co-investigator on two NIH-funded research projects, one of which investigates biomarkers and risk stratification in localized prostate cancer (PI: Hans Lilja, MD, PhD). The second project is focused on developing models to improve prostate cancer outcomes across diverse populations (PI: Ruth Etzioni, PhD).