Prostate cancer screenings and guidelines

Prostate cancer does not always produce symptoms, so the most common way to catch prostate cancer is by scheduling regular exams and screenings. Men of average risk should be offered the option for prostate cancer screening beginning at age 50. If you are higher risk, please talk to your doctor about being screened earlier.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests also may be performed as a screening test for prostate cancer. A PSA is a blood test that looks for a protein produced by the prostate; elevated levels may indicate the presence of cancer, but can also be due to an enlarged or inflamed prostate gland without cancer. PSA screening offers earlier diagnosis and higher cure rates for prostate cancer. Spectrum Health has adopted new guidelines for screening men for the possibility of prostate cancer.

These new guidelines are in response to an uptick in the number of prostate cancer patients who are being diagnosed in advanced stages, rather than early on in the disease. Decisions about whether to screen and when to begin screening for prostate cancer should be based on shared decision-making between you and your providers. The evidence is substantial that delaying these screenings carries real risk to patients.

• Men of average risk should be offered the option for prostate cancer screening beginning at age 50.
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) with a digital rectal exam (DRE) is the recommended method for prostate cancer screening. DRE alone is not considered sufficient screening for prostate cancer.
• Screening should not be offered or continued in men with a life expectancy of less than 10 years.
• Frequency of subsequent PSA testing after the initial test should be based on the value (every 4 years if PSA <1, every 2 years for PSA between 1 and 3, and every year if PSA >3).

In most cases, men should continue PSA screening until the age of 70. The bottom line is that men should discuss their options for screening with their primary care provider.