Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among American men. Prostate cancers usually grow slowly. Most men with prostate cancer are older than 65 years and do not die from the disease. Finding and treating prostate cancer before symptoms occur may not improve your health or help you live longer.
A prostate specific antigen (PSA) test may find prostate cancer at an earlier stage than if you don’t get screened, but most medical groups don’t recommend screening with the PSA test. Learn about prostate cancer and talk to your doctor before you decide to get tested or treated for prostate cancer.
Next: Basic Information
CDC’s Latest Research
- Primary care providers’ intended use of decision aids for PSA testing for prostate cancer screening
- Trends in prostate cancer incidence rates and prevalence of PSA screening by socioeconomic status and regions in the United States
- Prostate cancer survival in the United States by race and stage (2001–2009): findings from the CONCORD-2 study
Featured Resources

Screening for Prostate Cancer provides an overview of screening tests and treatment options.

Treating Localized Prostate Cancer: A Review of the Research for Adults explains treatment options and common side effects.

This health tip sheet explains prostate cancer screening and provides a list of questions to ask your doctor.
- Page last reviewed: March 28, 2018
- Page last updated: March 28, 2018
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