Colorectal cancer screening
About one in 24 men will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Regular screenings can detect cancer early, when it’s more easily treated.
“Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening,” Hrncir says. “It’s the most effective at ruling out cancer, and if precancerous polyps are discovered, they can be removed during the screening.”
Colonoscopies are recommended every 10 years for people of average risk. Other types of colorectal screenings are available, including at-home tests, which require you to collect a stool sample and then mail it to a lab for analysis.
While at-home tests are more convenient, they need to be done more frequently — every one to three years. And if you receive an abnormal test result, you’ll still need to get a colonoscopy.
Talk to your doctor or other health care provider about which colorectal screening is a good fit for you.
When to get it: The American Cancer Society recommends people at average risk of colorectal cancer begin screening at age 45. Screening frequency depends on your age, the type of testing and the presence of other risk factors.
Prostate cancer screening
Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the U.S. Early-stage prostate cancer tends not to cause symptoms.
The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is a simple blood test that can support early detection of this disease.
When to get it: Hrncir recommends that men 55 and older who are at average risk talk to their provider about getting a PSA test annually. Those at higher risk of prostate cancer, including people with a family history of the disease, should consider a PSA test as early as 40.
“There are a lot of reasons a person may have an elevated PSA level, so an abnormal test result doesn’t always mean cancer,” Hrncir says. “Erring on the side of caution with prostate screening can help make sure we do catch cancer before it spreads to other parts of the body.”
Prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes screening
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. This condition doesn’t happen all at once — it starts out as prediabetes, when blood sugar levels are higher than normal.
“Prediabetes is really common,” Hrncir says. “Most people don’t know they have it, since there typically aren’t any symptoms. Screening can help us catch prediabetes before it develops into Type 2 diabetes.”
Screening for prediabetes (or Type 2 diabetes) involves a blood test. It may be part of routine bloodwork at your annual checkup.
When to get it: The American Diabetes Association recommends testing for prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes starting at age 35. Your provider may recommend screening at an earlier age if you have a family history of Type 2 diabetes, concerning symptoms or other risk factors.
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