Testing for Prostate Cancer - the PSA test
The PSA test is a way of checking for prostate cancer. It means having a simple blood test usually taken from the arm.
The benefit of the PSA test is that it could find a prostate cancer while it's still small. It might then be possible to treat it before it grows and causes any problems. But before you decide whether you want the test, there are a few things you should think about.
Most prostate cancers grow very slowly and don’t cause any problems, particularly in men in their 70’s or 80*s.* And it*s unusual to find a prostate cancer in men under the age of fifty though it does occur. The risk is higher in people with a family history and has been shown to be higher in African Americans.
The PSA test is not a perfect test for prostate cancer. So if your PSA test isn’t normal, you’ll probably need to have another sort of test, called a biopsy , to be sure whether there’s a cancer there or not. A biopsy involves taking samples from the prostate through the back passage (bottom) which can be painful.
If you do turn out to have prostate cancer, it might be possible to treat it and even cure it. But at present doctors do not all agree that there is sufficient research evidence to conclusively show that early treatment will extend your life. Doctors don’t all agree on the best way to treat early prostate cancers and all of the main treatments for prostate cancer can cause problems, like leaking urine or problems getting an erection as can untreated prostate cancer.
When your you’re deciding whether to have the PSA test, there’s no right or wrong answer. You will need to consider conflicting view points. Some men feel that they’d rather not go through all the tests and possible treatments, particularly since most prostate cancers grow so slowly that they never cause problems. Other men would rather have the tests and any treatment to be absolutely sure they’d done all they could to prevent any problems from prostate cancer.
It’s your decision.
