More men will be tested for prostate cancer as part of world-first reforms to boost early detection.
There are 26,000 new cases each year in Australia and about a third are diagnosed late.
A steering committee was formed to revamp 2016 testing guidelines, which were deemed too confusing, out of date and inadequate.
Following consultation with leading experts and the public, the changes will be put to the National Health and Medical Health Research Council for approval.
The new guidelines include offering a baseline PSA blood test to men aged 40 and a stronger push for GPs to offer twice-yearly testing to all men aged 50 to 69.
There is also a recommendation to scrap a 2016 stance to avoid testing men over 70.
Importantly, it recommends earlier and more frequent testing for men at higher risk.
“We have stronger recommendations about men with family histories of prostate cancer because if you have a father, brother, an uncle with prostate cancer, your risk is higher,” said Professor Jeff Dunn, Steering Committee Chair and PCFA Chief of Mission.
Dunn said significant advances in technology such as multiparametric MRI has helped drive the push for better early detection.
The use of MRI has become standard practice to investigate elevated PSA levels, reducing the number of invasive procedures performed.
“It was important that we update these guidelines to factor in the latest evidence, the latest clinical practice,” he said.
“We will detect prostate cancer earlier and we will save lives.”
