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Why Prostate Screening At Age 40? (It Saved His Life)

September 06, 2017

When retired deputy Hartford police chief Neville Brooks was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 49, it wasn’t exactly a surprise. His father and three of his uncles died as a result of the disease.

Brooks’ genetic history and African-American ethnicity put him in a much higher risk category for prostate cancer than most men. That’s why he made the decision to have regular prostate cancer screenings at age 40. This included a rectal exam and the blood test known as the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA).

It’s a decision that likely saved his life.

PODCAST: Neville Brooks Faces Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer can be serious, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. More than 2.9 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer are still alive today. This is due, in large part. the modern prostate cancer screenings performed at the right time in a man’s life.

NEW RESEARCH: PSA Screenings Prevent Prostate Cancer Deaths

But there is sometimes confusion on when, exactly, screenings should commence. While the exact timing for screenings is a matter for men to decide with their physicians, here’s when the discussions of the topic should begin:

  • Age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.
  • Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes African Americans and men who have a first-degree relative (father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65).
  • Age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age).

“What we’re trying to do is detect cancers that are clinically significant. Prostate cancer is a slow-moving cancer. For men in the later stages of their life, with a  low grade, slow-moving cancer, it might be more beneficial to not seek treatment,” says Dr. David Crawley, a urologist with the Hartford HealthCare Medical Group in New London. “But for those who meet the risk factors, early detection is crucial. All men should have an informed discussion with their provider about their risks and if and when they need to be screened.”

Today, Neville Brooks takes every opportunity to tell people to address his community and his family – especially his young adult nephews – about the need for screening to prevent dying from this slow-growing cancer.

“As long as I’m around, I’m going to make sure they know when it’s time to start getting tested,” Brooks said.

For more about prostate cancer treatment at the Tallwood Urology & Kidney Institute, click here.