ACS Updates Prostate Cancer Screening Guideline for PSA Testing
November 13, 2026
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has published an updated prostate cancer screening guideline. It recommends PSA-based screening every two years for average-risk men aged 50 to 69, a direct recommendation the 2010 guideline did not make. The update appears in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
What the prostate cancer screening guideline recommends
The ACS recommends annual PSA screening from age 45 to 69 for Black men and for men with a strong family history of prostate cancer. Men aged 70 to 74 should decide on continued screening with their clinician, because the balance of benefits and harms remains uncertain. Screening is not recommended from age 75, although very healthy men aged 75 to 79 may want to continue, particularly if their PSA has been rising.
A PSA reading of 3.0 ng/mL or higher in men aged 45 to 69, or 6.5 ng/mL or higher at ages 70 to 74, should be repeated between two weeks and three months later. A confirmed elevated result should be offered MRI and/or a validated biomarker test to guide biopsy decisions.
Why it matters
The release estimates 333,830 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2026, with 36,320 dying of the disease. The recommendation for Black men comes with its own rationale. Dr. William Dahut cites a 67% higher incidence and nearly double the mortality rate compared with White men. The release gives no cost figures for the repeat PSA, MRI or biomarker steps. Syenza News has reported Slovenia’s plans to expand national prostate screening programs. It has also reported how socioeconomic status influences lung cancer screening.
Dr. Robert Smith’s framing is “catching lethal tumors while avoiding unnecessary tests for slow-growing cancers that may never need aggressive care.” Men with low-risk disease should be offered active surveillance as the initial option. For men already diagnosed with advanced disease, Syenza News has covered PSMA-targeted radioligand therapies.
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