American Cancer Society Backs Routine PSA Tests in New Guideline
The American Cancer Society released updated prostate cancer screening guidance on November 12, 2026. It now directly recommends PSA blood tests every two years for average-risk men aged 50 to 69, and annual tests from age 45 for Black men and men with a strong family history.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) on November 12, 2026 released an updated prostate cancer screening guideline that directly recommends regular testing with a PSA blood test, replacing advice that left the decision largely to individual men and their doctors. Here is what men should know about prostate cancer screening under the new rules.
For men at average risk aged 50 to 69, ACS now recommends a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test every two years. Clinicians should make sure patients understand the potential benefits, limitations and harms before screening begins.
Black men and men with a strong family history of prostate cancer are advised to start earlier. ACS recommends annual PSA-based screening for them from age 45.
What changed from 2010
The previous ACS guideline was published in 2010. It did not include a direct recommendation for regular screening. Instead, it said most men should go through shared decision-making with their healthcare provider about testing.
ACS says the evidence has since strengthened. Screening with a PSA test significantly reduces prostate cancer deaths and the diagnosis of advanced-stage disease, the society said.
A PSA test is a simple blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen. The guideline update appears in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the society's flagship journal.
Limiting the harms
ACS also points to better ways of handling an elevated PSA result. These approaches can cut the risk of unnecessary biopsies and of treating cancers that may not be life-threatening.
Dr. Robert Smith, ACS senior vice president for early cancer detection science and senior author of the report, said "PSA testing remains the cornerstone of detecting prostate cancer early, and we now have stronger evidence of its benefits."
He added that the PSA test is "just the first step in a screening process." Secondary testing for men with elevated levels determines who needs a biopsy, and who can be safely monitored through active surveillance.
The numbers behind the update
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. It is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States.
ACS estimates 333,830 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2026, and 36,320 will die of the disease. Incidence and mortality rates vary substantially across racial and socioeconomic groups, the society said.
For the update, ACS ran a systematic evidence review and commissioned a modeling study of the benefits and harms of different PSA-based screening strategies. A volunteer Guideline Development Group of clinicians, epidemiologists, biostatisticians and patient representatives revised the guidance.
Smith called the changes "a critical step toward preventing diagnoses of advanced disease, reducing premature deaths, and minimizing treatment-related harms."
