Here’s yet another shift in the recommendations to screen for prostate cancer, but it’s interesting that it’s coming from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and not the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF).

https://pressroom.cancer.org/prostate-cancer-screening-guideline-update-2026

If you’ve been around the prostate cancer world for any period of time, you may recall that in 2012, the USPSTF recommended against routine screening for prostate cancer because it led to overtreatment decisions. Screening plummeted and, in 2018, the USPSTF came back and updated their screening recommendations, saying that individuals age 55 – 69 should decide whether to screen or not, and should have robust discussions with their doctors.

After 2012 USPSTF recommendation change, prostate cancer rates were declining at about 6.4% per year. Basically, people weren’t getting screened, so fewer people were being diagnosed. After 2014, the decline in cases reversed and began increasing at about 3% per year. Unfortunately, because early screening wasn’t happening as often, those cases that were being diagnosed were seeing more advanced stages of disease at initial diagnosis.

The ACS recommendation to screen average-risk men 50 – 69 years old every two years seems to be a reasonable one to me. High risk men get start screening earlier and more often.

Physicians seem to be much better equipped today to talk about all of the options that would be available to someone who is newly diagnosed, and would be less inclined to rush into a treatment / overtreatment decision. Of course, it’s incumbent on the patient to educate themselves so that they can make informed decisions that are in line with their own personal goals.

Be well!