Do I Need a Prostate Cancer Screening Test?

Video: Dr. Adam Rosenbluth explains why your doctor orders more comprehensive tests as you age. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

I just turned 55. Should I take a PSA test?

 Yes, you should take a PSA test to measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood. One hundred percent. In fact, I usually start screening my patients around the age of

40, because I see an increasing number of young men developing prostate cancer. Early in my career, I diagnosed a patient with prostate cancer when he was just 47 years old.

If you have a prostate, you have around a 13 percent chance of getting prostate cancer at some point in your life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For these

reasons, even though the American Cancer Society recommends men at average risk get their first PSA test at age 50, I prefer not to take chances and suggest earlier screening.

The same thinking applies to older men. Although some guidelines talk about not routinely checking PSA’s in men beyond their 70s, President Biden’s recent diagnosis of aggressive prostate

cancer highlights the fact that many men are living longer. This is an opportunity for the health care community to take better care of our aging Americans by individualizing cancer

screenings.

The risk factors for prostate cancer include: age (increases as you get older), racial background (African American and Caribbean men of African descent are at higher risk), smoking and

obesity, as well as genetics. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer will double your risk of developing the disease.

Adam B. Rosenbluth, M.D., is an internist and cardiologist in New York City. Each Monday, he’ll weigh in on your questions about how to make your body work better for you. His AARP book will

be published in 2027. Join in on the conversation on social media @dradamrosenbluth to learn to move the needle on your personal health in an achievable way.

Email your questions for Dr. Adam to dradam@aarp.org

Now that you know why I recommend earlier PSA screenings, let’s look at what a healthy prostate does. The prostate is a gland around the size of a chestnut located directly below the bladder

and above the muscles of your pelvic floor. This gland is crucial for the reproductive process because it releases a liquid when mixed with sperm that produces semen. The prostate’s muscles

contract to expel semen during ejaculation.

Your doctor most likely feels your prostate during a digital rectal exam (DRA) as part of your annual physical. It will be checked for lumps, bumps, nodules and areas of hardness and

enlargement. But prostate cancer may not produce any symptoms in its early stages — and that’s why a PSA blood test is so important.