Men who live alone fall short on prostate screening

The American Cancer Society recommends that men with a family history of prostate cancer get screened for the disease starting at age 45. However, some studies have found that these men are no more likely to seek screening than those without a family history.

These latest findings, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, suggest that partners play a big role in getting men to submit to prostate cancer screening.

The study also finds men at higher-than-average risk of prostate cancer are more likely to seek regular screening if they are married or live with a significant other.

In fact, higher-risk men who lived alone were less apt to seek screening than those with no family history of prostate cancer.