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The American Cancer Society released updated prostate cancer screening guidelines on Thursday (November 12), urging more specific and regular testing for men at risk. The new recommendations call for men aged 50 to 69 with average risk to undergo a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test every two years.
Higher-risk groups, including Black men and those with a close family history of prostate cancer, are now advised to begin yearly screenings at age 45. Studies have shown that Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as other men, underscoring the importance of earlier and more frequent screening in this group.
For men between ages 70 and 74, the American Cancer Society recommends discussing the potential benefits and risks of PSA testing with healthcare providers, while men 75 and older or those not expected to live another ten years are encouraged to stop screening.
Previously, the guidelines suggested men in their forties and fifties engage in shared decision-making with their doctors about PSA testing. The updated guidelines now make a stronger case for routine testing, backed by new research showing that regular PSA screening can help reduce deaths from prostate cancer.
The new guidelines reference a major European study with over two decades of follow-up, which found that regular PSA screening among middle-aged men led to a decrease in prostate cancer deaths.The updated advice is a significant shift from the previous approach, which left the decision to test up to patients and their doctors. Now, the organization is confident that routine screening will help catch more cases early, when treatment is most effective.