The PSA test

It can take up to two weeks to get the result of a PSA blood test.

Sometimes a raised PSA level can be a sign of prostate cancer|. More often though, it's caused by something less serious like an inflamed prostate (prostatitis)| or an enlarged prostate (BPH)|, which is more common as you get older.

A single PSA test can't show whether a prostate cancer is present, or whether it's slow or fast-growing.

The level of PSA can also be raised by:

• infections
• prostate biopsies (PSA should not be tested until three months after a biopsy)
• having a urinary catheter (a tube to drain urine)
• prostate or bladder surgery (PSA should not be tested until three months after surgery)
• prolonged exercise, such as long-distance running or cycling, may raise PSA for up to 48 hours
• ejaculation - this may raise PSA for up to 48-72 hours.

Some drugs such as finasteride (Proscar®), which are given to help with urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate gland, can lower the level of PSA in the blood, so this needs to be taken into account. It's important to tell your GP about any medicines you are taking before having the test.

How reliable is it? Back to top

There are still questions about how reliable PSA testing is.

The PSA test is not a test for prostate cancer. It's a test for abnormalities of the prostate, one of which may be cancer.

Two out of three men with a raised PSA level will not have any cancer cells in their prostate biopsy, while up to one in five men with prostate cancer will have a normal PSA result. 

Screening for prostate cancer Back to top

In the UK, there is currently no screening programme for prostate cancer using the PSA test.

At present there isn't a reliable test or enough evidence to prove that a screening programme would be worthwhile. However, the Department of Health has said that any man over 50 who would like the PSA test can contact their GP who will then discuss the pros and cons of the test with them. If the man decides he would like to go ahead with the test then his GP will arrange it for him. Alternatively, the PSA test is widely available for a small charge at many pharmacies and private clinics.