June 2025
Finding any cancer early, before it has spread, can help save lives. But unlike definite screening guidelines for colorectal cancer, prostate cancer screening guidelines are less direct.
The biggest challenge with prostate cancer screening is that it can yield abnormal results — saying you have cancer when you don’t (false positive) or saying you don’t have cancer when you do (false negative).
That’s why the American Cancer Society (ACS) doesn’t recommend that all men get screened for prostate cancer. Instead, the ACS recommends that men discuss the benefits, limits, and risks of screening with their healthcare providers.
When to discuss prostate cancer screening with your doctor
The ACS recommends that men talk to their doctors about prostate cancer screening at the following ages based on their personal risk factors.
- Age 40 for men at highest risk: This includes men with more than one first-degree relative — father or brother — who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than 65).
- At age 45 for men at high risk: This includes men who have a first-degree relative who was diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65. It also includes African American men since they’re more likely to get prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it than other men, according to the CDC.
- At age 50 for men at average risk: This includes men who are expected to live at least 10 more years and don’t have any first-degree relatives who were diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65.
