New advice on prostate cancer tests

Men ages 55 to 69 should talk with their health care provider about prostatespecific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer. That’s according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Clinicians inform men ages 55 to 69 years about the potential benefits and harms of PSA–based screening for prostate cancer. Many men will experience potential harms of screening, including false-positive results that require additional workup, overdiagnosis and overtreatment, and treatment complications, such as incontinence and impotence.

The task force recommends against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer in these men age 70 years and older.

“The recommendations don’t change for men over 70. If men over 70 are asymptomatic with no family history, they don’t need to have PSA tests every year,” said Mayo Clinic urologist Dr. Matthew Tollefson. “Those men have very low risk of dying from prostate cancer. But for men who are from 55 to 69, there can be a benefit seen with screening. This is where the task force is now giving nuance to the discussion and saying there isn’t a blanket statement for everyone.”

Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in American men. The American Cancer Society says about one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Tollefson said it’s important for men to have a conversation with their health care provider to determine the best option that weighs risks as well as personal preferences.