Better Health Channel
betterhealth.vic.gov.au Department of Health
betterhealth.vic.gov.au Department of Health
  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men. Each year, approximately 24,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and around 3,500 will die from it.
  • Australia has no government-sponsored prostate screening program like the breast, bowel or cervical cancer screening programs.
  • Current guidelines recommend that men over age 50, or over the age of 40 with a family history of prostate cancer, or if men have any symptoms that could indicate a problem, men should talk to their doctor about testing for prostate cancer as part of their regular health check-ups.
  • The most common test to indicate if you have issues with your prostate, is a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.
  • A biopsy is a procedure where a needle is used to remove multiple small samples of tissue from the prostate gland and is the only way a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer can be made.
  • It is important that you make an informed decision about testing based on the latest available evidence on the benefits and potential harms of testing and subsequent treatment for prostate cancer.

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Reviewed on: 08-06-2023