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Older men are more at risk for prostate cancer complications

Category: Prostate

Older men may benefit the most from PSA testing for prostate cancer. According to new findings from Army researchers, individuals over 70 have far more risk factors for the condition, and generally experience poorer outcomes when they develop the disease.

Researchers from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC examined the medical records of more than 12,000 men who were enrolled in a database. They found that men over age 70 were significantly more likely to have a higher clinical stage, biopsy grade and PSA level than younger men. All of these factors point to either an increased risk of developing prostate cancer or a greater likelihood of poorer treatment outcomes.

Together, these factors made elderly men nearly 1.5 times more likely to suffer from cancer recurrence following treatment for prostate cancer. The researchers said that these findings may lead to updated PSA testing guidelines.

"Our findings indicate that as men age, parameters consistent with more aggressive disease become more prevalent. The etiology of this trend is unknown. However, these data may have implications for current screening and treatment recommendations," they wrote in their report.