Some men should skip prostate screening, study suggests

One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only 1 in 35 will die from it. With this in mind, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released new guidelines for prostate cancer screening, saying men 75 and older should not be screened.

The task force reasons that if the average life expectancy of a 75-year-old-man is 10 years, a slow-growing cancer like this one is unlikely to affect his lifespan, and as a result there is no benefit to screening.

For younger men, the task force advises discussing the PSA test with a doctor before screening.

But not all health officials agree with the new guidelines and say screening should be based on an individuals health history and personal risk factors.