A Guide to Cancer Screening Tests for Men

Cancer is a scary prospect. So, when you’re feeling healthy, a cancer screening test is easy to put off or ignore. But many kinds of cancer are treatable — or even preventable — when caught early. 

Here, we’ll take a look at which cancer screening tests are recommended for males by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a group of experts focusing on disease prevention in the U.S. 

What is a screening test?

Screening tests look for evidence of a disease before there are symptoms. A screening test is different from a diagnostic test. A diagnostic test is meant to test for a disease after you develop symptoms. 

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Screening tests are usually recommended for certain people at certain ages.

Recommendations for screening tests consider:

• The likelihood of finding a disease 

• The possible outcomes of having that disease 

• The risks and benefits of the test itself

• The risks and benefits of treating the disease

This article will focus on cancer screening tests for adult men, males, or transgender people.

Colorectal cancer

What is it?

Colorectal cancer occurs in the large intestine or rectum. It’s the third most common type of cancer in men, and it has the second highest death rate. The best way to prevent colon cancer is to find and remove growths in the intestine called polyps. Colorectal cancer starts when polyps begin to change. If polyps are found early, they can be removed before cancer starts. 

Who should be screened?

Colon cancer screening is recommended for adults 45 to 75 years old. Screening happens at a younger age for people with a family history of colon cancer or a health condition that increases their risk of colon cancer.

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How does screening work?

Screening for colorectal cancer includes a few different options.

Stool tests

You can do these tests at home and return them to a healthcare office or lab. The three types of stool test include:

• Guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT): This looks for small amounts of blood in the stool. It’s done every year.

• Fecal immunochemical test (FIT): A FIT test also looks for blood in the stool and is done every year.

• FIT-DNA test: A bowel movement is collected at home and mailed to a lab. A FIT-DNA test checks for blood and also for changes in DNA. This test is done every 3 years.

Colonoscopy

For this test, a healthcare provider uses a thin, flexible tube with a small camera to look for polyps and other changes in the colon. Polyps can be removed this way, too. If there are no polyps and you have an average risk of cancer, a colonoscopy is done every 10 years.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy

This is like a colonoscopy but only checks the last part of the colon. If it’s normal, it’s repeated every 5 years.

Virtual colonoscopy

This test uses CT images to look at the colon. If everything looks normal, the test is repeated every 5 years.

Choosing the right test

Not every kind of colorectal screening test is right for everyone. You can talk with your healthcare provider about which one is best for you. You may want to consider:

• Convenience: Stool tests can be done at home, but they have to be done every 1 to 3 years. Colonoscopies are a little more involved. They require a liquid diet and medication to clean out the bowel before the exam. And they need to be scheduled in a special healthcare office. But if the test is normal, you won’t need one for another 10 years. 

• Risks and benefits: Colonoscopies and sigmoidoscopies carry a small risk of complications like bowel injury. But a benefit is that if polyps are found during the exam, they can be removed. Stool tests and virtual colonoscopy carry less risk. But if there are signs of anything concerning, you’ll still need to have a colonoscopy.

• Cost: Different forms of insurance may cover some tests but not others. Newer tests, like virtual colonoscopy, may not be covered. A healthcare provider can help you find the test that’s right for you.

What symptoms should I know about?

Discuss any symptoms of polyps or cancer with your healthcare provider. Those symptoms include:

• Bleeding with bowel movements

• Losing weight without trying

• Abdominal pain or cramping

• A change in the frequency or appearance of stool

Take home point

Adults ages 45 to 75 should be screened for colorectal cancer. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are at increased risk for colon cancer, as you may need to start sooner. Also talk to your provider if you are older than 75, as many people stop screening at this age.

Lung cancer

What is it?

In their lifetime, 1 in 16 men will develop lung cancer. Around 90% of that risk comes from smoking. It is the second most diagnosed cancer in American men. More people die from lung cancer every year than from breast, prostate, and colon cancer combined.

The good news is that quitting smoking reduces the risk of lung cancer and other serious health conditions. The American Cancer Society states that 10 to 15 years after quitting, the risk of developing lung cancer drops by half. 

Who should be screened?

You need lung cancer screening if you: 

• Are between the ages of 50 and 80 and

• Have a 20 pack-year smoking history 

A pack-year estimates how many cigarettes you’ve smoked in your lifetime. So you can have a 20 pack-year history if you:

• Smoke 1 pack a day for 20 years

• Smoke half a pack a day for 40 years 

• Smoke 2 packs a day for 10 years

This is true for people who currently smoke as well as for people who have quit. Experts recommend yearly screening. They do not recommend screening if someone has or develops a health condition that would make treatment for lung cancer too risky.

How does screening work?

Lung cancer screening is done with a low-dose CT scan. For this test, you lie on a table and pass through a round machine that takes detailed images of your lungs. It takes a few minutes, is painless, and you’re not in an enclosed space. 

Like any test, there are benefits and risks:

• For people at a higher risk of lung cancer, a CT scan can find cancer at an earlier stage when it is more treatable. 

• Sometimes, there are findings that need a biopsy and other procedures but turn out not to be cancer. 

• And even though there’s a lower dose of radiation in this type of CT scan, there’s a small risk that repeated CT scans over time could lead to other forms of cancer.

What symptoms should I know about?

Talk about any symptoms of lung cancer with a healthcare professional. That’s because testing will be more focused than a screening test. These symptoms include:

• A cough that won’t go away

• A cough that is getting worse

• Blood in the sputum or with coughing

• Losing weight without trying

• Pain in your chest or with breathing

• Feeling short of breath or new wheezing

• Feeling tired or run down

Take home point

Adults 50 to 80 years old with a 20 pack-year smoking history should be screened once a year with a low-dose CT scan. Talk with your provider if you’re older than 80 or if you have symptoms of lung problems.

Prostate cancer

What is it?

In the U.S., around 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. It’s the second most common cause of cancer deaths in males after lung cancer. 

But most men who have prostate cancer will not die from it. The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer also comes with risks. So, men, males, and transgender people with a prostate should make a decision with their healthcare provider about screening.

Who should be screened?

The USPSTF recommends that men ages 55 to 69 should discuss the risks and benefits of prostate screening with their healthcare provider. Prostate cancer screening is an individual choice. 

The benefits of screening are that prostate cancer is more treatable at an early stage. Black males — or those with a family history of prostate cancer — are at increased risk for prostate cancer. So they may benefit more from screening.

The risks of increased testing may include pain, discomfort, and worry. And if the test finds prostate cancer, there are risks to treatment as well, including: 

• Pain

• Being unable to hold urine

• Problems having an erection

For this reason, most males over 70 are not screened.

How does screening work?

Screening for prostate cancer usually begins with a blood test. A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test looks for a protein made by cells in the prostate. The PSA level rises in prostate cancer. But it can also increase for other reasons that aren’t cancer.

If the PSA is high, a healthcare provider may check the prostate with a rectal exam. This is to feel for areas that feel enlarged or painful. It may also detect nodules that could be cancerous. Other tests may include repeat blood tests or a prostate ultrasound and biopsy.

What symptoms should I know about?

Discuss any symptoms of prostate cancer with your healthcare provider:

• Trouble starting to urinate

• Difficulty holding urine

• Pain or burning with urination

• Blood in the urine

• Blood in the semen

• Pain with ejaculation

• Pain in the low back or pelvis that doesn’t get better

Take home point

Men, males, and transgender people with a prostate between age 55 and 69 should discuss the risks and benefits of prostate screening with their healthcare provider.

Skin cancer

What is it?

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. But melanoma — the type of skin cancer that is the most fatal — only makes up 1% of all skin cancers. Other forms of skin cancer are less likely to cause deaths unless they are at an advanced stage.

Who should be screened?

There isn’t enough evidence to recommend skin cancer screening for everyone. But the USPSTF recommends sunscreen and limiting sun exposure to reduce the risk of skin cancer. 

How does screening work?

Screening for skin cancer means having a full skin exam. A healthcare provider will look for any spots on the skin that could be signs of precancer or cancer.

What symptoms should I know about?

Even though there aren’t recommendations for screening, moles or skin lesions that are growing or changing should be examined. All forms of skin cancer are best treated at an early stage. 

Skin cancer symptoms include:

• A new or enlarging growth, nodule, or scaly patch

• A sore that won’t heal

• A mole that is irregular or uneven

• A mole that is uneven or changing in color

• A mole that is growing 

• A mole that is larger than a pea

Take home point

Everyone should take precautions to prevent skin cancer. See a healthcare provider for any areas of concern on the skin.

Other cancer screening tests

There are many other forms of cancer. Some types are less common, so screening tests aren’t recommended. Other forms of cancer don’t have a good screening test to perform on large groups of people. But talk with a healthcare provider about any significant changes in your health, energy, or body. They can help you figure out what testing or screening you need.

There are a few other types of cancer screening tests that are important to mention.

Breast cancer 

• Males who have certain genetic or hormone conditions may be at higher risk of breast cancer. A healthcare provider can help determine the right kind of screening.

• Transgender people who have breast tissue — or people who have taken hormones for more than 5 years — may benefit from breast cancer screening.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

• HPV can cause precancer or cancer in the throat, cervix, anus, and penis. There are no national screening guidelines for males. But any new itching, pain, or lesions in these areas should be checked out.

• Transgender people with a cervix should be screened with a Pap smear and HPV test. 

Testicular cancer

• There are no recommended screening tests for testicular cancer. But anything out of the ordinary on a testicular self-exam should be checked by a healthcare provider. 

• Some conditions — like having had an undescended testicle — may put people at higher risk for testicular cancer.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH

Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH has been a board-certified family physician since 1999. She worked as a full-scope family physician (inpatient, outpatient, obstetrics, and office procedures) in the Cook County Ambulatory Health Network for 15 years.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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