Screening for
prostate cancer—checking for signs of the disease when
there are no symptoms—is done with the
digital rectal exam and the
prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. In the United
States, about 75% of men who are age 50 or older have had a PSA test.1
The number of deaths caused by prostate cancer
has dropped over the past 20 years. The decrease has been linked to more cases
of early diagnosis through PSA testing and to better cancer treatment.2
Finding prostate cancer early leads you to some
big decisions. Most prostate cancer grows slowly. And the side effects of
treatment can change your quality of life—mainly not being able to have an
erection (impotence) and not being able to control urination (incontinence). If
you are around age 70 or older, these side effects may seem worse than
early-stage cancer that may not grow much during your lifetime. But, especially
for men 65 or younger, treatment makes the cancer less likely to grow and
spread.3
So before you decide to have a
PSA test, talk with your doctor. Ask about your risk for prostate cancer, and
discuss the pros and cons of testing. Some men will not want to live with the
side effects of treatment. Other men are more concerned about survival. It is
important to learn all you can and talk to your doctor before making a
decision.
Should I have a PSA test to screen for prostate cancer?
After reviewing research on routine screening for prostate
cancer using the PSA test, the
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
recommends the following:4
- Men age 75 and older should not be screened for
prostate cancer.
- Men younger than 75 should talk with a doctor
about the pros and cons of PSA testing before being tested. Men younger than 75
with long-term medical problems or who are expected to live less than 10 years
are unlikely to benefit from screening.
For more information, see the topic Prostate Cancer.