PSA Testing

The PSA test is a blood test which measures the level of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in your blood. PSA is made by the prostate gland, some of it will pass into your blood, the amount depends on your age, the size and health of your prostate.
The PSA test is used to help detect prostate cancer. In its early stages, prostate cancer generally produces no symptoms, so it is important to diagnose the disease before symptoms arise and while it is still potentially curable. A recent trial suggests that treating prostate cancer may significantly prolong a man’s life.

A normal PSA means it is unlikely you have prostate cancer but does not exclude prostate cancer about 15% of all men with a ‘normal’ PSA level may have prostate cancer.

A very high level of PSA (usually greater than 10 ng/ml) is likely to be an indication of prostate cancer and should therefore prompt further investigation.

A slightly or moderately raised PSA level means that other factors – ethnicity, family history, prostate volume, PSA history, and a digital rectal examination (DRE) and MRI scan may be considered in determining whether to send a man for further tests such as prostate biopsy. However, in three quarters of such cases, further tests do not detect cancer

The PSA test does NOT diagnose cancer, but it is the only quick and easy test available There can be other reasons for a moderately elevated PSA¸ e.g. benign enlarged prostate, infection of the prostate (prostatitis), presence of a urinary infection etc., these may need treatment.
Strenuous exercise such as cycling and sexual activity can also increase the PSA levels.

It is known that men whose close relatives – father, uncles, brothers, grandfathers – have had prostate cancer, together with all men of Afro-Caribbean ancestry, are of increased risk and should be tested at 45 or earlier. It is also believed that breast cancer in the family may also increase the chances.

Prostate cancer is not always aggressive or life threatening. Even if further tests do detect early-stage prostate cancer, a specialist may not be able to tell whether the condition is life threatening or harmless. This may make treatment choices difficult for both patient & clinician.

All of these factors have led to the current controversy over the value of the PSA test, however, the uncertainties may be reduced by men having a regular test, ideally on an annual basis.

Regular monitoring of PSA levels can highlight any significant or gradual increase, so that even when the PSA is within the ‘normal’ range, one maybe alerted to the need for further investigation.

The NHS says that any man over 50 is ENTITLED to the PSA test free on the NHS once the pros and cons of the test have been explained.

PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING FOR MEN OVER AGE 80

Essential Reading for Men 80+ Considering a PSA Test

View / Download a pdf version of this guidance

Screening means looking for a disease before it has manifested. Screening for PCa with the blood test PSA is therefore appropriate for men with no urinary problems to detect and cure potentially lethal PCa that would otherwise cause death.

All urological guidelines recommend PCa screening should not be performed for men with less than 10 years’ natural life expectancy; in practice for men over age 75-80. This is because it takes an early, asymptomatic PCa about 7 years to manifest outside the prostate (advanced) and modern treatment can control even advanced PCa for, on average, 5 years. This would take a man with an early, asymptomatic PCa at 80 well into his 90s, by which time he is likely to have died from something else. Hence the well-known cliché “most men die with PCa, not from it”. Therefore, for the vast majority of men over 80, PCa screening does not save their life and is of no benefit!

Although a small minority of men over 80 may benefit, a significantly larger number with an abnormal PSA may be led into a sequence of invasive tests that ultimately are of little benefit, usually due to detection of non-lethal, clinically insignificant PCa that would never cause any harm anyway. Consequently, if you are over 80, you will not be able to book a PSA test directly on line but should contact us as outlined below.

PCaSO age criterion for PSA testing is 40-80. However, we will offer PSA tests to men over 80, so long as they fully understand that the potential disadvantages of screening probably outweigh any benefit.

If you are over 80 and would still like a PSA test after reading this, please either contact PCaSO at info@pcaso.org or phone 01903 775783 to discuss further and allow you to make a fully informed decision and then, if appropriate, book a PSA test.

Roger Bacon
PCaSO Trustee
PSA Event Organiser

This information and advice was written by:
Chris Booth, FRCS,
Consultant Urologist (retired)
Clinical Director, CHAPS Charity
Clinical Advisory Board, National Federation of Prostate Cancer Support Groups

View / Download a pdf version of this guidance

All men over 40 are able to book an appointment online to visit one of our PSA testing sessions, as long as they have made an informed choice based on the benefits, limitations and risks of having the test.

We often work with Lions, Rotary and Freemason clubs who help with the organisation.
PCaSO arranges events where men over 40 can have a free test, although donations on the day are welcome.
A small amount of blood is taken from the arm by trained phlebotomists just like a hospital or surgery.

The blood sample is taken to a NHS accredited hospital laboratory, often a local hospital, where it is analysed by professionals the same way as any other blood sample.

The results of the PSA tests are overseen by a team of practising and retired urologists, based at the GFCT, who analyse the results and grade them into green, amber or red.
You will then be informed by email or text that your result is available.
Letters are also sent by post, depending on which option chosen when booking a test.
If you have chosen to have a test at one of our events, then you will have selected the method in which we will notify you of your results.

Do allow up to 10 to 14 days for the test results to be processed, but we hope this can be processed at less busy times within a few days. Once you have received your notification that your test result is available you will be able to login to our website to find out more details.
If you have not received your result within 3 weeks after the event date, please contact us for further assistance.

New figures – published by PCUK in Feb 2018 – reveal that for the first time more men died from prostate cancer than women died from breast cancer.  Using data from 2015, the latest available, 11,819 men died from prostate cancer in the UK, compared to 11,442 women dying from breast cancer. It means the male-only disease is now the third most common cancer to die from, after lung and bowel cancer.

Since 1999, the number of women dying from breast cancer has been steadily decreasing, while prostate cancer deaths are still on the rise. During that time, breast cancer has benefitted from a screening programme, significant investments in research and more than double the number of published studies compared to ones for prostate cancer.

Despite the alarming figures, the prospects for men with prostate cancer are actually better than ever, with men diagnosed today two-and-a-half times more likely to live for 10 years or more than if they were diagnosed in 1990. Yet due mainly to an increasing and ageing population, the number of men dying from the disease is growing.  Since the NHS won’t bring in a screening programme, PCaSO, with other support groups around the country, will do our best to provide a service.

During the Covid-19 pandemic a scheme for Home PSA Testing was set up. If you would like to have a PSA test and cannot get to your GP or one of the PCaSO events.

Please Note all events are by online appointment only – Please do not email or call before the BOOKINGS OPEN dates below, we are not able to take phone bookings or reserve places.

Registration & Verification: You will need to first register with the site to set up a personal account using your email address as username and a password before booking an appointment

Please Note – just registering will NOT make a booking, you need to register or login and then add a booking, enter your details and ensure you click on the green ‘COMPLETE BOOKING’ button at the bottom of the screen.
If you do not receive a confirmation of booking email then your booking is not complete.

When filling in the online booking form ensure you use your full first names, as stated on birth cert/passport (DO NOT use shortened names such as Bob, Jim etc.) and CHECK that your name and DOB are correct. The name given should be that of the person taking the test.
The autofill facility on some browsers may enter the wrong name.

For more information on registering an account read here

Results:  All those who have had a PSA Test will receive an email or text message informing them that your results are available. Results can be found by logging in to your account on the Bookings website with the username and password used to register on the site.

For queries about results please read here

For queries about results please read here