PSA and prostate health: seven conversations · Part 3 of 7

How often would I check my PSA?

By Dr. Josh · Oct 21, 2026

“Once a year should do it, right?” For my own screening, I would ask one more question: does that interval actually fit me?

I would write down which relatives had prostate cancer and their ages at diagnosis, then bring earlier PSA results to discuss alongside my age and health. Black ancestry, a strong family history or an inherited change such as BRCA2 can warrant an earlier discussion, sometimes in the early forties for higher-risk people.

I would weigh finding a cancer that matters against false alarms and finding a cancer that might never cause problems in my lifetime, but could still lead to unnecessary treatment. Then I would leave with an actual arrangement: whether to test now, when to test next, what would prompt earlier contact, and when to reconsider continuing screening.

I would use Peter Attia's discussion to help prepare questions, rather than treat it as my screening schedule. My own schedule would still need a conversation with my doctor. An already abnormal result would get its own follow-up, not wait for next year's physical.