By Dr Bashar Patrus (Dr Pat), GP with a clinical interest in skin cancer medicine at Carrara Family Practice
On 18 May 2026, Australia adopted new national guidelines for the early detection of prostate cancer, replacing the 2016 guidelines and marking the first major overhaul in a decade. If the message you remember is “men over 50 should get a PSA test,” it’s worth an update, because that blanket approach is exactly what the new guidelines move away from.
What’s actually different now
The new guidelines, developed by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council, do not recommend testing every man of a certain age. Instead, they set out an individualised pathway based on your age and your personal risk factors, with a scan, MRI of the prostate, now recommended before any biopsy, to reduce unnecessary procedures and overtreatment of cancers that were never going to cause harm.
The new age based approach
Ages 45 to 49: routine testing isn’t recommended unless you’re at higher risk. If you’re interested in checking your prostate health, your GP can discuss an initial test with you.
Ages 50 to 69: after an informed conversation with your GP about the benefits and downsides, testing every two years is generally recommended.
Age 70 and over: testing depends on your overall health, life expectancy and personal preference, decided with your GP rather than applied automatically.
Higher risk groups: if you have a brother or father with prostate cancer, several second degree relatives who died from it, Black sub-Saharan ancestry, or a BRCA2 mutation, the guidelines recommend earlier and more frequent testing from age 45.
None of this is something to work out on your own. It’s a conversation to have with your GP, who can weigh your age, family history and personal circumstances properly.
Prostate is one piece of a bigger picture
A proper men’s health check is about more than one test. A few other screenings worth having on your radar:
Heart health. A Medicare funded Heart Health Check is available to anyone 30 and over, a dedicated appointment built to assess your cardiovascular risk before anything goes wrong. Read more about heart health screening.
Bowel cancer. Free at home screening kits are mailed automatically to Australians aged 50 to 74 every two years, and anyone aged 45 to 49 can request their first kit as well.
Skin checks. Queensland has among the highest UV exposure in the world, and skin cancer risk doesn’t take time off. As someone with a particular interest in skin cancer medicine, this is the one I’d encourage most Gold Coast men not to put off, especially if it’s been more than a year since your last check.
Mental health. Low mood, stress or simply not coping is worth raising with a GP the same way a physical symptom would be. It’s not a lesser concern.
Book a screening conversation
None of these screenings need to wait for a specific symptom. If it’s been a while since you’ve had a proper look at where you stand, that’s reason enough. Book a men’s health appointment with Carrara Family Practice. Call (07) 5594 4118 or book online.
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Please speak with a GP at Carrara Family Practice about your individual screening needs.
About the author
Dr Bashar Patrus, known to patients as Dr Pat, is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners at Carrara Family Practice, with a particular clinical interest in skin cancer medicine and minor surgical procedures.