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If prostate cancer is identified at an early stage or before symptoms even become apparent, the outlook is very good, and improving. This is because it is far easier to treat at this stage and therefore more likely to be curable.  Currently,  there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK, although in the US, there is a national screening programme for men over 50 and at the age of 45 for those with a family history of prostate cancer or of African ancestry. Obviously, the same elevated risk parameters apply to men in the UK.

The prostate cancer screening process is straightforward. The doctor will examine your prostate by inserting a gloved finger into your back passage and feeling the prostate gland. He will also take a blood test for the prostate-specific antigen, known as the PSA test.

In very general terms, the higher the PSA level, the more likely there is cancer present. However it is just an indicator -  the PSA level may be raised for other reasons, such as an infection or an enlarged prostate, which may not be cancerous.

Equally, men with prostate cancer may not have a raised PSA at all - 2 out of 3 men with a raised PSA do not have prostate cancer. There is also some discussion about the most effective methods of treating early prostate cancer, and the treatments themselves can cause unpleasant side effects which may be completely unnecessary for people with a slow growing tumour which will cause no problems at all in their lifetime.

The key point is that if you are in the higher risk group or if you are over 50, it is most certainly  advisable to be screened as the rectal examination and PSA test combined do provide a reliable basis for deciding whether further investigation is needed. In the absence of a national programme, it is up to clinicians to make information available so that men are able to make an informed choice for themselves.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us or call on
0207 510 0300.

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