Should I Be Tested?

Prostate Cancer

Who Should be Tested?

• Men age 50 and older have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and digital rectal exams (DREs) yearly.
• Men at high risk, such as African Americans or men who have a family history of prostate cancer, should begin annual testing with the DRE and PSA blood test at age 40.

Risk Factors

• Age: The risk increases with age. More than 70 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over age 65.
• Race: African American men have the highest prostate cancer incidence rates in the world; they are twice as likely to die from the disease as white men.
• Family History: Men with close family members (father or brother) who have had prostate cancer are twice as likely to get it themselves, especially if their relatives were young when they got the disease.
• Diet: Men who eat high-fat diets, particularly animal fat, may have a greater chance of developing prostate cancer.

Diagnostic Tools

• PSA blood test measures a substance made by the prostate called prostate-specific antigen –-the higher the level, the more likely cancer is present.
• DRE exam involves inserting a rubber-gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for lumps on or enlargement of the prostate. The DRE takes approximately 10 seconds to complete.
• If either the PSA or DRE test appears abnormal, the doctor will recommend a biopsy to determine whether cancer is present.