The Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) endorses the American Urological Association’s comments about the United States Preventative Services Task Force’s (USPSTF’s) updated statement on PSA screening for prostate cancer. The SUO congratulates the USPSTF’s emphasis on shared decision-making in two groups at particularly high risk for developing prostate cancer, African American men and men with a strong family history of this disease, and for acknowledging the importance of research about the role of screening for these populations.

The SUO remains concerned about the USPSTF recommendation of “D” against screening for men over age 70. This is too broad. American men are living longer and the elderly have a particularly high risk of suffering from this disease, evidence actually referenced by the USPSTF. More than half of the men dying from prostate cancer are older than 75, and they are far more likely to be diagnosed with metastatic disease at presentation than younger men. Even during the height of PSA screening, men age 75 and older accounted for almost 40% of Americans diagnosed with high grade, Gleason score 8-10, prostate cancer who had a PSA between 4-10 and non-palpable disease at diagnosis. The SUO believes men over age 70 should be afforded the same opportunity of shared decision-making about screening as younger men.