Information to give asymptomatic men who request a ‘screening’ PSA test
· GPs have received expert guidance, from the UK and the US, that they can ‘improve the health of their patients by advising them AGAINST having the PSA test’. This is because, based on research involving hundreds of thousands of people over many years, we now know that:
o The test is unlikely to prevent you dying from prostate cancer over the next 10 or 15 years or help you to live longer
o Elevated PSA levels are common and lead to additional tests which can be harmful
o PSA testing finds cancers which may never cause problems. But once these cancers are found it is hard not to treat it. These treatments can result in significant side effects such as impotence and urinary incontinence
o By choosing not to have a PSA test you can have a similar length of life and avoid the potential harms associated with tests, procedures and treatments
· For every 1,000 men who are screened with a PSA test
- 1 death from prostate cancer will be prevented
- 100 will receive a false positive and will need prostate biopsy
- 100 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and most likely receive potentially harmful treatment, which they may never have needed
- Biopsies and treatment are associated with significant harms
If despite this advice, you still want to have a PSA test then it is recommended that the test is restricted to men aged from 55 to 69. If your PSA test is found to be low (2 or less) no further PSA testing is recommended, as your lifetime risk of developing significant prostate cancer is very low and continued testing is more likely to cause you harm. If your PSA is found to be greater than 2, you may benefit from continued screening.
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