7 August 2026
New prostate cancer guidelines in Australia: What they mean for you
If you've ever wondered whether you should get checked for prostate cancer – and at what age – you finally have a clearer answer.
The 2026 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer in Australia have just been released, replacing guidance that's been sitting untouched for ten years. They were developed by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council, and they put Australia among the first countries in the world to take a modern, risk-based approach to finding prostate cancer early.
Movember has welcomed the change.
Why this matters
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. 1 in 5 men here will be diagnosed in their lifetime. Around 29,000 men are diagnosed every year, and about 4,000 die from it.
Some men carry more risk than others. If prostate cancer runs in your family, your risk of being diagnosed is double that of other men. And if you live in regional or remote Australia, your risk of dying from the disease is 24 per cent higher.
So when should you get tested?
The new guidelines recommend that men over 50 speak to a doctor about prostate cancer testing.
If you're at higher risk, that drops to age 45. You're considered higher risk if:
- Prostate cancer runs in your family.
- You're a Black male with sub-Saharan African ancestry.
- You have a confirmed BRCA2 mutation.
Remember, you can talk to a doctor about your prostate health at any time. You don’t have to wait until you’re 45. And if you have any symptoms, don’t put off that visit to the doctor or your health care clinic.
What else is new?
The guidelines also update the testing process. They cover risk assessment, shared decision-making with your GP, PSA testing, and the latest diagnostic pathways (if needed) — including routinely using an MRI scan (multiparametric MRI) before a biopsy.
In plain terms: fewer men going through tests and treatments they may not need.
What Movember says
Sam McKeown, Director of Prostate Cancer Research at Movember, called the Guidelines a fantastic step forward that will undoubtedly change lives.
"For a decade, the science moved forward while the clear guidance available to men and their GPs stood still. That gap has now closed."
"For the first time in Australia we have a contemporary framework built on the best available evidence, designed to encourage shared decision making between the man and his GP, and a risk adapted screening pathway. This will enable us to diagnose prostate cancer earlier while sparing men the tests and treatments they never needed. Understanding their prostate cancer risk will encourage more men to visit the GP and start having the conversation around prostate cancer screening."
"The task now is implementation. Every man, in every postcode, deserves to understand his own risk and to feel confident raising it with his GP. Movember will keep investing in the research, programs and awareness that turn this evidence into fewer deaths and better lives for men."
Your next step
Know your risk. Then talk to your GP about it. That conversation is the whole point of these guidelines — and it's a lot easier to have now that everyone's working from the same, up-to-date information.