PSA Testing
There is currently no national screening programme for prostate cancer. But if you’re aged 50 or over, you can ask your GP for a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test to check your prostate. A high PSA level may suggest prostate cancer, but other reasons can also cause it to be high.
Most people referred to us have already had a PSA test at their GP surgery. If you’re referred to UCLH with a high PSA level, we will do other tests for prostate cancer.
Advanced MRI and targeted biopsy
Before having a biopsy, you’ll have a high-resolution MRI to identify areas that might be cancer. If we identify suspected cancer, you’ll have a transperineal biopsy. This involves taking a tissue sample through the skin between your anus and scrotum. This method is more accurate and has a lower risk of infection than traditional methods. This approach reduces the number of unnecessary biopsies.
Other tests
If we suspect that the cancer has spread, we may arrange further tests such as:
- CT scan
- Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET scan
- Bone scan
You can find more information about these on our prostate cancer diagnosis and tests video and the Prostate Cancer UK scans web page.
Stage and grade of prostate cancer
To understand how we stage and grade prostate cancer, visit:
