September 2, 2025
A new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that prostate cancer diagnoses in the U.S. are rising again—most concerningly in advanced stages of the disease.
Some of the report’s key findings include:
Overall increase: Prostate cancer cases have risen by about 3% each year since 2014, after a decade of decline.
Advanced-stage cancers: The sharpest rise was in late-stage diagnoses, climbing over 6% per year.
Slower drop in deaths: Prostate cancer deaths used to decline by 3–4% per year but now are only falling by 0.6% annually.
Experts point to a shift in screening practices. In the early 2010s, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against routine use of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which can detect cancer early but also led to concerns about overdiagnosis. This led to confusion as many men were unsure when or if screening was necessary.
Since PSA testing has declined, more cancers are being found at later stages—when they are harder to treat. Dr. William Dahut, Chief Scientific Officer for the American Cancer Society, said, “Screening rates have gone down significantly since their peak about 20 years ago and we’ve seen increased incidences of men presenting with more advanced disease over the last decade or so. Only about 25% of men between 50 and 64 actually had a PSA test. Men, because of a fear of the treatment for cancer or fear of cancer, are not being screened at all. And thus, when they have a diagnosis of prostate cancer, once it has spread out to the bone, that’s not a curable cancer.”
According to the study, prostate cancer death rates were two times higher for Black men compared to any other racial or ethnic group. Likewise, the report found Native American men had a 12% higher rate of death from the disease compared to White men, despite a 13% lower incidence.
According to the ACS:
Start the conversation at 45: Men should discuss PSA screening with their doctor to decide if and when testing is right. The PSA test is a blood test that measures how much of a particular protein (called prostate-specific antigen) is in your blood. It’s been the standard for prostate cancer screening for 30 years.
High-risk groups: Black men and men with a family history may need earlier or more frequent screening.
Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer in men (30% of cases in 2025) and the second leading cause of cancer death behind lung cancer. Early conversations with your doctor—and personalized screening decisions—are key to catching prostate cancer before it advances.
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