More men should get a common blood test for prostate cancer, new guidelines say

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Men who are at high risk, including Black men and people with a strong family history, should start annual PSA-based screening at 45, according to the new guidelines.

Men between the ages of 50 and 69 should receive a common blood test for prostate cancer every two years, the American Cancer Society said Thursday in its first updated screening guidelines in more than a decade. Men who are at high risk, including Black men and people with a strong family history, should start annual prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, tests at 45.

“It really highlights the value of early detection of prostate cancer and in treating men at an earlier stage,” said Dr. Adam Feldman, chief of the division of urologic oncology at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, who was not involved in the guidance.

The new recommendations reflect stronger evidence showing that PSA tests can significantly lower the number of deaths and advanced-stage diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society. The blood tests have faced scrutiny for having a high rate of false positives, meaning many men with potentially concerning results often do not have prostate cancer. But the updated guidelines combine PSA-based screening with additional tests and recommendations intended to reduce the harms of unnecessary procedures and treatments, said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.

“Our goals are to decrease the risk of men being diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and dying from the disease, and at the same time minimizing harm,” Dahut said in an interview.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men in the United States and is the second leading cause of cancer death in that population. More than 300,000 men are estimated to be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, with about 36,000 dying of the disease. Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men, who are twice as likely to die from it as white men. Those at high risk also include people with either a first-degree relative diagnosed before age 65 or multiple first-degree relatives diagnosed at any age.

In 2023, about 40 percent of men aged 55 to 69…

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