Regular prostate cancer screening recommended under new American Cancer Society guidelines

Key Points:

• The American Cancer Society now recommends regular prostate cancer screening for middle-aged men, advising PSA tests every two years for average-risk men aged 50 to 69, and yearly tests starting at age 45 for high-risk men, including Black men and those with a strong family history.
• This update marks a shift from the 2010 guideline, which suggested men discuss PSA testing frequency with their doctors, reflecting advances in early detection and methods to reduce overtreatment and unnecessary procedures.
• The guideline emphasizes balancing early detection with avoiding overtreatment by using repeat PSA tests, MRI scans, and monitoring low-risk tumors rather than immediate aggressive treatment.
• Men with a strong family history, defined as a close relative diagnosed before age 65 or multiple relatives diagnosed at any age, are advised to begin yearly screening at 45, while screening is generally discouraged for men over 80 or those with limited life expectancy.
• Prostate cancer remains a common and potentially deadly disease, with over 333,000 new cases and about 36,000 deaths expected in the U.S. in 2026, underscoring the importance of informed screening decisions.