Cancer
American Cancer Society recommends routine PSA screening for more men
The ACS recommends PSA tests every other year for most men ages 50 to 69, with annual screening from 45 for men at higher risk.
The American Cancer Society has updated its prostate cancer screening guidance, moving from its 2010 recommendations to urge routine PSA testing for more men. NBC News reports that most men ages 50 to 69 should be screened every other year. Black men and men with close relatives diagnosed young or multiple affected relatives should be screened annually starting at 45.
For older men, the reports describe the guidance differently. NBC News says men ages 70 to 74 should discuss testing with their providers. STAT reports that decisions become individualized starting at 70, and screening should stop after 80 or when a man is not expected to live another 10 years.
STAT reports that the guidance sets 3.0 nanograms/milliliter or higher as the threshold for an elevated PSA for men aged 45 to 69. After two elevated readings, it recommends an MRI scan and/or other biomarker tests before biopsy. The changes reflect newer findings that screening reduced prostate cancer deaths in some men, while the ACS also emphasizes avoiding unnecessary biopsies and treatment.
