Regular prostate cancer screening recommended under new American Cancer Society guidelines

November 12, 2026 / 5:13 PM EST / CBS/AP

Middle-aged men should undergo regular screening for prostate cancer, the American Cancer Society said Thursday in a major change to its guidelines.

The screening involves a simple blood test, and men at average risk of getting prostate cancer should receive the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test every two years between the ages of 50 and 69, the cancer society advised.

Men at high risk, including Black men and men with a strong family history of prostate cancer, should get yearly PSA checks and start earlier, at age 45.

Thursday's guideline update marks a shift in thinking about routine blood tests for PSA, or prostate-specific antigen.

Since 2010, the cancer society has recommended that men at average risk talk with their doctors about whether and how often to get PSA tests. That's a protein produced by both normal and cancerous prostate cells, meaning a high level might signal a tumor but also could be from a benign enlarged prostate or be a temporary spike from vigorous exercise.

Prostate cancer is highly survivable if caught early, but widespread PSA testing in the past was blamed for overtreatment of slow-growing tumors and unnecessary follow-up…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/