Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer of American men, and the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer in the United States and many European countries. The American Cancer Society estimates that since 1998 approximately 185,000 men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, and that approximately 39,200 men have died from this disease every year, in the United States only.

During the five years preceding 1992, there was a dramatic surge in prostate cancer incidence in the United States that coincided with the introduction of widespread testing for serum prostate specific antigen (PSA).  However, since 1992 the annual incidence has declined by 11% nationally and continues to decline. Additionally, the mortality rate for prostate cancer has also changed during the past two decades within the United States. After increasing steadily from 1973 to 1990, the mortality rate for prostate cancer fell by 6.3% during the period between 1991 and 1995.

It has been extensively discussed whether this change in statistical trends can be directly attributed to the introduction of PSA testing.

Currently, the medical community generally agrees that PSA testing satisfies most of the five main scientific criteria listed below:

(1)     Prostate cancer is a significant health problem

(2)     Testing for PSA is an accurate and relatively inexpensive way to identify prostate cancer

(3)      Early detection of prostate cancer improves the clinical outcome

(4)      There are potentially harmful consequences associated with diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

(5)      From a public health perspective, screening for prostate cancer does more good than harm

Satisfying the criteria listed above makes PSA testing an important screening test that is being adopted as a common public health measure for men around the world.

Currently, it is recommended that men over 40 years old have a prostate examination and PSA testing on a yearly basis, as part of their regular annual medical examination.