Prostate-specific antigen screening for prostate cancer in older men in the United States of America

Abstract

Prostate cancer, like many diseases, is more common in older men. Although an estimated 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with it, the majority of these men will not die from prostate cancer. The latent nature of this disease, the use of screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and the greater risk of dying from causes other than prostate cancer contribute to this disparity. As the US population continues to age, prostate cancer screening and disease management presents an increasingly important public health issue. We discuss the current PSA screening recommendations and practices in the USA and the benefits and harms of screening older populations.