The latest information regarding the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test for prostate cancer, is advising men age 75 and older not to be screened.
It also says younger men should discuss the benefits and harms of the PSA test with their doctors before being tested.
The new recommendation comes from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force which has found evidence that screening for prostate cancer provided few health benefits but led to substantial physical and some psychological harm in men age 75 and older.
The Task Force says for men younger than 75, the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer that afflicts Australian men and the second highest cause of cancer deaths in men.
Screening for prostate cancer is most often performed using PSA tests and digital rectal exams and while the PSA test is more likely to detect prostate cancer than the digital rectal exam, prostate cancers that are found with a PSA test take years to affect the health.
Most prostate cancers that grow serious enough to cause death take more than 10 years to do so and the researchers say as a 75-year-old man has an average life expectancy of about 10 years he is more likely to die from other causes such as heart disease or stroke, and prostate cancer screening is unlikely to help men over 75 live longer.
Men younger than 75 with chronic medical problems and a life expectancy of fewer than 10 years are also unlikely to benefit from screening.