American Cancer Society updates prostate cancer screening guidelines
NPR • • health
Key Points:
- The American Cancer Society now recommends routine prostate cancer screenings, particularly blood tests, to save lives, especially for high-risk groups like Black men and those with a family history of the disease.
- Previously, the benefits of PSA blood tests were uncertain due to the slow-growing nature of most prostate cancers and risks of overtreatment, including sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence.
- The new guideline advises men aged 50 to 69 at average risk to screen every two years, while high-risk men, including Black men and those with family history, should screen annually starting at age 45.
- To reduce overtreatment, the guidelines suggest using MRI imaging or additional blood tests before proceeding to biopsy and recommend against screening men 75 and older unless prior PSA tests were elevated.
- These updated recommendations contrast with those of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which still advises individualized decision-making with doctors regarding prostate cancer screening.
