ATLANTA — The American Cancer Society has updated its prostate cancer screening recommendations for the first time since 2010, with one of the biggest changes affecting Black men.

Under the new guidelines, Black men are advised to begin annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screenings at age 45 and continue through age 69.

Dr. Bruce Waldholtz, a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, says the change addresses the higher rates of prostate cancer diagnoses and deaths among Black men.

“We know that African American men have about a 66% higher rate of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, and we know they have about double the mortality,” Waldholtz said.

For men who do not have a family history of prostate cancer and are not considered high risk, the updated recommendations call for PSA screenings beginning at age 50 and continuing every two years.

High-risk individuals are advised to begin screening at age 45.

“Black men should undergo annual PSA screening starting at age 45 up to age 69, and that is a major change,” Waldholtz said.

According to Waldholtz, more than 11,000 men in Georgia are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.

He says PSA screenings can help detect the disease before it reaches more advanced stages.

“We now know that prostate cancer screenings with PSAs can decrease the number of advanced stage disease and save lives,” Waldholtz said.

WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.