Male Cancer Screening

Too many men die prematurely because they avoid cancer screenings. Most cancers grow silently for years without symptoms, and by the time they’re detected, it’s often too late. Regular screenings can catch them early, when treatment is most effective, and give men the chance to live much longer, healthier lives.

Here is the list from the most common to rarest forms of male cancers, with their symptoms, screening methods, treatments and survival rates.

Top cancers in men (by new U.S. cases, 2025)

1) Prostate: Often no early symptoms; later: urinary frequency/weak stream. Screening: PSA blood test via shared decision-making ages 55–69 (earlier for higher risk). Early survival: ≈100% when localized. Chemo: not routine for early disease (used for metastatic). (U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce)

2) Lung & bronchus: Persistent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath. Screening: annual low-dose CT ages 50–80 with ≥20 pack-years, current or quit ≤15 years. Early survival: ~64% if localized. Chemo: often added to surgery for early NSCLC; standard in SCLC. (U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce)

3) Colon & rectum: Rectal bleeding, change in bowel habits. Screening: start at 45 (FIT yearly, stool DNA 1–3y, colonoscopy 10y, etc.). Early survival: colon ~91%, rectum ~90% if localized. Chemo: adjuvant chemo for node-positive/selected tumors. (U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce)

4) Urinary bladder: Painless blood in urine. Screening: not recommended for average-risk people. Early survival: in situ ~98%, localized ~73%. Chemo: intravesical chemo/immunotherapy for non-muscle-invasive; systemic/neoadjuvant chemo for muscle-invasive. (American Cancer Society, SEER)

5) Melanoma (skin): New/changing mole (ABCDE). Screening: evidence insufficient for routine clinician skin exams in asymptomatic adults. Early survival: >99% if localized. Chemo: rarely used first-line now; surgery ± immunotherapy/targeted therapy for higher-risk. (PubMed, SEER)

6) Kidney & renal pelvis: Often incidental; possible flank pain/hematuria. Screening: none for average risk. Early survival: ~93% if localized (renal cell). Chemo: limited role; surgery most important; targeted/immunotherapy when indicated. (American Cancer Society, SEER)

7) Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Painless swollen nodes, B-symptoms (fever, night sweats, weight loss). Screening: none. Early survival: ~86% if localized (varies by subtype). Chemo: cornerstone (e.g., R-CHOP), plus targeted/immunotherapy as subtype dictates.

8) Oral cavity & pharynx: Non-healing mouth sore, throat pain, trouble swallowing. Screening: USPSTF finds evidence insufficient for general-population screening; routine dental exams help. Early survival: ~86–87% if localized. Chemo: added for advanced/high-risk disease with surgery/radiation. (U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce, American Cancer Society)

9) Leukemias (ALL/AML/CLL/CML): Fatigue, infections, easy bruising/bleeding. Screening: none. Early survival: depends on subtype; overall ~67%, ranging widely (e.g., CLL high, AML lower in adults). Chemo: primary treatment; targeted pills (e.g., TKIs) for CML/CLL.

10) Pancreas: Jaundice, abdominal/back pain, weight loss. Screening: none for average risk; high-risk surveillance at specialized centers. Early survival: ~44% if localized (few present early). Chemo: typically after surgery and for most stages. (American Cancer Society)

Other notable cancers in men (less common but important)

11) Liver & intrahepatic bile duct: Upper-abdominal pain, jaundice; risks include hepatitis B/C, alcohol, fatty liver. Screening: only for high-risk (ultrasound ± AFP every ~6 months). Early survival: ~37% if localized. Chemo: limited; surgery/ablation/transplant; targeted/immunotherapy for advanced. (Cancer.gov)

12) Esophagus: Progressive trouble swallowing/weight loss; GERD/Barrett’s risks. Screening: not routine; endoscopic surveillance for Barrett’s. Early survival: ~48–49% localized. Chemo: usually with radiation before/after surgery.

13) Stomach: Indigestion, early satiety, weight loss. Screening: not routine in U.S. Early survival: ~75% localized. Chemo: peri-operative/adjuvant commonly used.

14) Thyroid: Neck lump/hoarseness; many found incidentally. Screening: not recommended in asymptomatic people. Early survival: >99% localized (except rare anaplastic). Chemo: rarely for early disease; surgery ± radioactive iodine is typical. (NCBI, SEER)

15) Brain & other nervous system: Headaches, seizures, neurological deficits. Screening: none. Survival: varies by tumor type; overall ~33–35%. Chemo: subtype-specific (e.g., temozolomide for glioblastoma).

16) Multiple myeloma: Bone pain, anemia, kidney issues. Screening: none. Survival: ~60–62% overall; “localized” staging isn’t used the same way. Chemo: backbone alongside immunomodulators/proteasome inhibitors; transplant in eligible. (SEER)

17) Testicular: Painless testicular lump/swelling (ages 15–45). Screening: USPSTF recommends against routine screening/self-exam. Early survival: ~99% localized (high cure rates even if spread). Chemo: curative for many metastatic cases. (U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce, American Cancer Society)

18) Larynx: Persistent hoarseness, throat pain. Screening: none. Early survival: favorable when localized. Chemo: often with radiation for organ-preservation or advanced disease. (General NCI/ACS guidance.) (SEER)

Notes and how to use this

“Early survival” above means 5-year relative survival for localized stage from U.S. registry data; outcomes vary by exact stage, tumor biology, and treatment plan. Chemotherapy is not automatically the right choice for every early cancer, sometimes surgery or radiation (and increasingly, immunotherapy or targeted drugs) are better.
Incidence ranking and counts for men are from the American Cancer Society 2025 estimates.
Current U.S. screening recommendations cited from USPSTF and ACS (colorectal from 45; lung LDCT for eligible smokers; PSA by shared decision-making; most others have no population screening). (U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce, American Cancer Society)