Men Often Confused About Prostate Cancer Screening, Survey Shows

September 9, 2024
Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter

A new survey finds the majority of American men believe the first step in prostate cancer screening is an invasive rectal exam by their doctor.

That's not true, but mistaken beliefs like these could keep men from getting screened until prostate cancer is discovered far too late, the American Cancer Society (ACS) warns.

“What’s most concerning is that while prostate cancer is highly survivable, it's still the second leading cause of cancer death in men,” said Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO for the ACS and the ACS Cancer Action Network. “This is because once prostate cancer advances and spreads beyond the prostate, it becomes much more difficult to treat and survival rates significantly decrease."

This year, almost 300,000 U.S. men will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer and over 35,000 will die from the disease, the ACS noted. It's a major killer, but about two-thirds of men in the higher-risk age group of 55 to 69 report no screening at all for the disease.

Why? To help find out, the ACS and the Harris Poll surveyed about 1,200 U.S. men ages 45 and older in August about their knowledge of prostate cancer screening.

Misconceptions were common. Three in every five men (60%) surveyed mistakenly believed that a doctor-conducted rectal exam was the first step in screening for prostate cancer. That number rose to 69% among Hispanic men.

However, prostate cancer screening actually begins with a noninvasive blood test that gauges levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PSA levels are converted into a PSA score, which helps determine if further screening is needed.

When men were informed that a blood test was the first step in screening, 49% said that knowledge would make them more likely to talk to their doctor about getting screened, the survey found.

In other findings:

Among those men ages 45 to 59 who hadn't yet been screened, 37% said they thought they weren't old enough to need screening. The ACS currently recommends screening begin at age 50 for men at average risk for prostate cancer and at age 45 for those at higher risk
More than a third (38%) of men did not know that a family history of prostate cancer upped their odds for the disease
Among Black and Hispanic men, about a quarter mistakenly thought it wasn't necessary to screen for prostate cancer until symptoms arose
More than half (56%) of men were unaware that erectile dysfunction is a potential sign of prostate cancer

"This survey shows that there is still a gap in understanding prostate cancer screening recommendations, which suggests discussions with health care providers are not taking place," Knudsen said in an ACS news release. "By educating men on the importance of early detection and prevention strategies, for those who choose to undergo regular screening, we have the ability to save lives and reverse the increase in late-stage prostate cancer diagnoses."

The ACS says men and their doctors should talk about prostate cancer screening based on their individual risk category. These include:

Average risk: All men at average risk should begin regular prostate cancer screening at age 50.
High risk: This includes all Black men (prostate cancer rates are higher in this group) and anyone with a father or brother who was diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 65. These men should begin screening by age 45.
Highest risk: Any man with more than one first-degree (father, brother) relative who's had prostate cancer before the age of 65. This group needs to begin screening at age 40.

To help men get in the game when it comes to prostate health, the ACS has enlisted basketball icon and prostate cancer survivor Alonzo Mourning as a spokesperson for its new "Know Your Score" campaign.

"Through this campaign, ACS aims to encourage men to have proactive conversations with their health care providers," the ACS statement said. "By learning their PSA score and working closely with their doctor, men who are diagnosed can then make informed decisions about treatment."

More information

There's more on prostate cancer at the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

SOURCE: American Cancer Society, news release, Sept. 5, 2024

Cancer: Prostate