4 Recommended Screenings for Men

1. Prostate Cancer Testing: Beginning at age 45, you should speak with your health care provider about the benefits and risks of prostate screening to check for prostate cancer. If you are Black or have a family history of prostate cancer, talk to your doctor sooner.

If you choose prostate cancer screening, begin at age 45 with a baseline PSA test and strongly consider a baseline digital rectal exam. Continue testing as indicated by your previous test results.

2. Colon Cancer Testing (Colonoscopy): Starting at age 45, men should talk with a healthcare provider about testing options.

3. Lung Cancer Testing: MD Anderson recommends lung cancer screening if you are age 50-80, are a current smoker (or former smoker who quit in the past 15 years) and have a 20 pack per year smoking history (for example, one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years).

4. Skin Cancer Check: Skin cancer screening is generally recommended for people at increased risk for developing skin cancer. Not everyone with risk factors develops skin cancer. However, if you do have one or more risk factors, discuss them with your health care provider and get regular skin cancer screenings. The earlier skin cancer is found, the better the chance of it being treated successfully.

The following factors put you at increased risk for skin cancer:

  • Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure: Extensive lifetime sun exposure or occasional intense exposure causing a sunburn
  • Tanning bed use
  • Age: The longer you are exposed to the sun over time, the higher your risk of developing skin cancer
  • Having a fair complexion, blonde or red hair, freckles, blue eyes and/or a tendency to sunburn
  • Having 50 or more moles