Men 50 to 69 Get Biennial Prostate Screening Advice
Average-risk men ages 50 to 69 are now advised to get a PSA test every two years, with added checks before any biopsy.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Men’s Health
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Would you get a routine PSA blood test every two years starting at 50?
The American Cancer Society now recommends PSA blood tests every two years for average-risk men ages 50 to 69, a change from its 2010 guidance that left testing to physician discretion. The organization also recommends yearly screening starting at age 45 for Black men and men with a strong family history of prostate cancer.
Why it matters
The revised guidance reflects recent findings that PSA screening reduced disease-specific mortality for certain men, after routine screening was dropped from American Cancer Society recommendations in 2010. For men weighing prostate cancer screening, the update shifts the conversation toward regular testing for a defined age group and toward closer follow-up when results are elevated.
These are revised professional guidelines rather than a single trial, and the source does not report a study design, sample size, or effect size. The recommendations are grounded in recent findings that PSA screening reduced disease-specific mortality for certain men.
The players
American Cancer Society
A national nonprofit focused on cancer prevention, research, and patient support, which issues widely followed screening guidelines for prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
An independent panel of experts whose screening recommendations determine which preventive services insurers must cover, and which continues to advise against routine population-wide PSA screening.
The details
The updated guidelines recommend two elevated PSA readings, followed by an MRI scan and/or testing for other biomarkers of prostate cancer, before a biopsy is performed. An MRI is still recommended before biopsy if a biomarker test returns abnormal. The added steps aim to reduce overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and the number of men undergoing biopsies.
Timeline
2010: American Cancer Society dropped routine PSA screening recommendation and left testing to physician discretion.
2025: New evidence on PSA screening became available.
November 12, 2026: American Cancer Society announced its revised screening guidelines.
Health Landscape
Routine PSA screening was dropped from American Cancer Society guidelines in 2010 and has since been debated within U.S. medicine. The new recommendations bring the Society back toward regular testing while adding follow-up steps meant to limit overdiagnosis and unnecessary biopsies.
Men ages 50 to 69 at average risk may want to ask their doctor whether biennial PSA testing fits their situation, and men with a Black or family-history risk factor may want to discuss starting yearly screening at age 45. Because insurance coverage follows the Task Force's recommendations, it is worth checking with your doctor and insurer about how the new guidance applies to you.
The takeaway
The big insight is that prostate screening guidance is shifting toward regular testing paired with added steps before biopsy. Ask your physician whether PSA testing is appropriate for your age and risk factors, and check how it fits with your insurance coverage.
What happens next
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has announced an upcoming update to its prostate cancer screening guidelines, and American Cancer Society researchers intend to study which biomarkers may better predict aggressive cancer.
Further reading
For broader context on prostate health and screening decisions, explore the Men’s Health section.
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Would you get a routine PSA blood test every two years starting at 50?
