Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. More than 50,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
Sir Chris Hoy, World Champion and Olympic medal winning cyclist, recently announced publicly that he has been diagnosed with the disease, which has raised awareness and led to more people being tested.
Prostate cancer is detected by checking the level of a protein called PSA in the blood. If PSA is high, it could be a sign of prostate cancer, but it could also be a sign of lots of other problems. If a test for PSA identifies that it is high, more investigations are performed to rule out prostate cancer.
The BBC has reported this week that there are concerns about rapid at-home tests for prostate cancer, which are increasingly being used. The tests are similar to the COVID-19 lateral flow tests, which were used during the pandemic.
The test checks for the level of PSA in the blood, and provides a positive result if the level is above 4.0 ug/l. The charity, Prostate Cancer UK, has raised concerns about the accuracy of the tests, which can be purchased for between £6.00 - £95.00 either online or in shops and pharmacies.
If the results of the tests are not accurate, they could falsely reassure people who do need more investigations for high PSA or could cause undue worry for people with a normal PSA level. Some online reviews of the tests reveal that there have been these problems for some of the users of the tests.
Despite it being the most common cancer in men, there is no national prostate cancer screening programme in the UK unlike other cancers including breast, bowel and cervical cancer, which are all routinely screened for. Prostate Cancer UK has called for a national screening programme for men at high risk of prostate cancer.
The Prostate Cancer UK website states that prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50, and the risk increases with age. Black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer are also at increased risk of developing the disease.
Men above the age of 50, or over 45 in at-risk groups, can request a PSA test from their GP, but many people do not know about this, which can lead to delays in diagnosis of the disease.
It is hoped that increased awareness of the disease will lead to the development of a national screening programme that will help to detect the disease earlier and will save lives.
Quote from author. Gemma Lewis, Partner and Specialist Medical Negligence Solicitor from MDS, said “It is good that awareness is being raised about the occurrence of prostate cancer in the UK, but as people learn more about the condition, they will become more worried. It is important that methods for screening are reliable, safe, and accessible to all”.
