Guidelines Urge Routine Prostate Cancer Screening for Older Men
WHO:
CNN - Dr. Neeraj Agarwal said Black men should consider starting screening around age 40; he cited recommendations from the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the American Urological Association that screening begin around that age.
CNN - The American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its prostate cancer screening guidelines.
CNN - Dr. William Dahut, ACS chief scientific officer, said men should seriously consider screening and talk with their primary care doctors.
CNN - Dr. Neeraj Agarwal of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Cancer Center said a clear recommendation could address the fact that many men were never offered screening.
CNN - Dr. Yaw Nyame of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center served on the expert panel that reviewed the updated guidelines.
CNN - Dr. Justin Gregg of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center supported PSA screening and said clinicians should discuss its benefits, limitations and harms.
NBC News - Dr. Daniel George, a Duke Health medical oncologist specializing in urological cancers, said many cancers do not warrant an immediate negative reaction.
WHAT:
CNN - Modeling studies cited by Agarwal estimate Black men reach the same level of clinically significant prostate cancer three to nine years earlier than other men; he said 1 in 6 Black men face a lifetime diagnosis risk and their risk of dying from prostate cancer is two to four times higher.
CNN - Agarwal cited a 2024 study in *Cancer* finding that more than three-quarters of privately insured men had out-of-pocket costs for follow-up testing after an abnormal PSA.
CNN - Sens. John Boozman and Cory Booker introduced the PSA Screening for HIM Act, which would require insurers to cover PSA screening for high-risk people without cost sharing.
NBC News - FDA approved the PSA test for cancer surveillance in 1986; after broad screening use, late-stage diagnoses fell by more than half and the death rate declined 7% by the mid-1990s.
NBC News - The rate of prostate cancer death fell by half over the previous three decades, but the decline slowed and stabilized among men ages 55 to 69.
CNN - The ACS recommends PSA screening every two years for men at average risk beginning at age 50, and annually from age 45 for Black men and men with a strong family history. At age 70, screening returns to individual decision-making.
NBC News - The ACS recommends screening every other year for most men ages 50 to 69; men ages 70 to 74 should discuss with providers whether screening is appropriate based on health and life expectancy.
CNN - The updated guideline defines an abnormal PSA as at least 3 ng/mL for men 69 and younger, and at least 6.5 ng/mL for men ages 70 to 74.
CNN - About 1 in 8 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. More than 330,000 people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed in the article’s referenced year; more than 99% of patients whose cancer is detected before spreading survive at least five years.
NBC News - Among men diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer, about one-third live five more years.
CNN - A European study found men offered repeated PSA tests were 13% less likely to die of prostate cancer than men not invited to screening.
NBC News - An ACS study found diagnoses rose about 3% annually from 2014 to 2021; metastatic cases among men 55 and older rose about 6% annually over a decade of data.
CNN - Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among U.S. men, behind lung cancer.
WHERE:
CNN - The guideline applies in the United States; the evidence cited includes European studies.
WHY:
CNN - The ACS said stronger evidence indicates PSA screening reduces prostate cancer deaths. Rising diagnoses and advanced disease prompted greater emphasis on screening.
NBC News - The ACS said screening recommendations reflect long-term European trial results showing fewer prostate cancer deaths, alongside improved ability to limit harms from overdiagnosis and treatment.
HOW:
CNN - Agarwal said access disparities involve access to PSA testing, follow-up after abnormal results, MRI, specialist care, active surveillance and timely treatment; he said outcome gaps between Black and White men are much smaller in equal-access Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.
CNN - PSA screening measures prostate-specific antigen in a blood sample. Elevated PSA can indicate cancer but can also result from an enlarged prostate or, less commonly, infection.
CNN - MRI, biomarkers and genomic tests can help identify higher-risk cases and avoid unnecessary biopsies or treatment; some low-risk cancers can be monitored.
NBC News - PSA testing can cause false positives, anxiety and unnecessary treatment; diagnostic biopsies carry health risks, while surgery and radiation can cause sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence and bowel problems.
CNN - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendation still calls for individual decisions for men ages 55 to 69 and carries a C grade; the task force’s recommendation is being updated.
(UPDATED November 12, 2026 15:01 UTC)
The American Cancer Society now urges more men to consider prostate cancer screening. Black men should consider starting around 40; average-risk men should discuss screening at 50. Screening can reduce deaths, but false alarms and treatment risks make doctor discussions important.
--
(UPDATED November 12, 2026 13:02 UTC)
The American Cancer Society now urges regular prostate screening, citing stronger evidence it saves lives. Most men should discuss PSA tests every two years starting at 50; higher-risk men sooner. Screening can lead to false alarms and treatment harms, so patients should weigh benefits with doctors.