PSA Screening Affected by Age|Race

PSA Screening Affected by Age or Race?

There are specific factors that can contribute to the presence of prostate cancer (Prostate Cancer Patterns| Development and Progression | Dr. Elist Health Blog Page) in men.  One of which is an overproduction of PSA in the body, which is something health professionals look out for when they’re doing the screening.  There are also certain demographics that can increase the likelihood of PSA (PSA Wiki Page), and men should be aware of these so as to stay informed on what the risk factors are.

By Age

The first risk factor is age.  Men over the age of 40 start to become more at risk.  The highest-levels of PSA (What is PSA? Page) have been found in men in the age bracket of around 65.  Around 70 years of age however, the disease starts to go away and the risk lowers in men. There is controversy over PSA screening (Is Prostate Cancer Screening right for you?! Page) by those who say the screening is unnecessary before 40. They base this on the fact that prostate cancer (PSA Test and Prostate Cancer Page) advances very slowly and the testing could cause more damage than the disease.

PSA Screening Diagram

By Race

The second factor is race.  Black men are more likely to get this form of cancer than white men.  Also, if a person of Asian and African ethnicity lives in their native country, they’re at a lower risk.  If one has a history of having a brother or a father with prostate cancer, it can double the risk.  Japanese men are at risk as well. However, if a man is still living in Japan, he is less likely to be affected.  It’s important for men to get checked regardless of their race, but the highest incidence and most at-risk men are black men with at least one relative who has had the disease.  Race does play a big part, and if a man is African-American, he should see the doctor when he turns 40.

Racial and age differences can really affect if a man overproduces PSA.  However, it is recommended that all men should see a doctor and get a screening at the age of 40, because that’s the prime time for the disease to start showing up.  Protecting one’s prostate health (Bladder Health | Keep Your Bladder Healthy Page) proactively can help men in the long run and prevent the cancer from advancing to stages which are more difficult to treat.