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Not all the medical societies dealing with prostate cancer agree on recommended screening tests and schedules.

Since it is currently unclear whether the benefits of screening and treatment for prostate cancer outweigh the risks and costs involved, we've gathered the recommendations of the different societies into this summary, in order to provide you the information to discuss with your doctor. Medical societies consider the evidence available from studies and create their best recommendations.

• The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)-The ACPM recommends that men who are 50 or older and are expected to live at least 10 more years receive information about the potential benefits and harms of screening and the limits of current evidence. ACPM recommends that doctors help men make their own choices about screening, based on personal preferences. Routine PSA and DRE testing are not recommended at this time.

• The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Urological Association (AUA)-In contrast, the ACS and the AUA recommend that health care providers offer yearly PSA and DRE testing for men, starting at 50, if they are expected to live for at least 10 additional years. High-risk individuals, such as African-Americans and men with a first-degree relative (father, brother or son) with prostate cancer, should begin testing at age 45. These men should discuss the potential benefits, side effects, and questions about early prostate cancer detection and treatment with their health care providers in order to make informed decisions about testing.

• The American College of Physicians (ACP)-The ACP recommends that doctors give men information about the benefits and harms of prostate cancer screen ing to help them make decisions based on personal preferences.

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (a group appointed by the federal government) recommends against routine screening for prostate cancer. This recommendation is currently under review.

As more information about screening and treatments for prostate cancer becomes available, the recommendations may change. The declining rate of death from prostate cancer may show the success of using prostate cancer screening along with the improvements in care. Currently, large clinical trials are in progress in the United States and Europe to provide better evidence for determining appropriate screening guidelines.

This article was published on 1999-06-08
This article was reviewed on 2003-02-03