Keeping Your Prostate Healthy

What Age You Need To Do Prostate Cancer Checs? 4

There is no self-chec for prostate cancer. Please use the following guidelines.

Beginning at age 40, or possibly earlier if you have a family history of prostate cancer or are black, you need to talk to your health professional about getting a yearly Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) and Digital Rectal Exam (DRE).

Beginning at age 50, if you have no family history and are not black ask your health professional for information about the PSA and DRE tests and if you should have them.

Some health professionals think that men younger than 75 should have yearly PSA tests; others do not.

Not all prostate cancers are life-threatening, and treatments can cause side effects. Sometimes high PSA levels can be caused by infections, BPH, or small cancers that may not grow or spread. Your doctor may prefer “watchful waiting” until there are signs that treatment is needed.

Fyi: Researchers are studying ways to improve the PSA test so that it detects only cancers that need treatment.

Resource: add more CDC and PubMed