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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research finds many men are not following the prostate screening guidelines, especially black men who are considered high risk.
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer is recommended for men at the age of 50 and high-risk men at the age of 40.
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Investigators at Duke Medicines Prostate Center conducted the research. They analyzed data from an ongoing, state-based random telephone survey. The men were asked if they had a PSA screening in the previous year.
Study authors say that one-fifth of men under age 50 reported having a PSA test in the previous year. They also found one in three young black men reported having a PSA test in the previous year. They find these results discouraging for black men because they are at higher risk for prostate cancer.
Researchers feel the guidelines should be changed to a PSA screening for all men starting at age 40. There is plenty of debate about this recommendation including the financial gains for doctors. But study authors say they feel it will help increase the number of men screened and hopefully increase the number of high-risk men screened.
SOURCE: Cancer, published online August 2008
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