Getting diagnosed with prostate cancer
Screening means testing people for early stages of a cancer, or for early changes that could develop into cancer if left untreated. For screening to be useful the tests:
need to be reliable at picking up cancers that need treatment
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do
Screening tests are not perfect and have some harms as well as benefits.
In the UK, there is an independent body of experts. They are called the National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes recommendations to governments on screening programmes. They base these on the best scientific evidence.
The UK NSC will only recommend a screening programme if overall, the benefits outweigh the harms. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.
Read more about how cancer screening programmes are decided in the UK
In 2025, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed the evidence on prostate cancer screening. As a result of this review, they do not recommend screening all men for prostate cancer. This is because there isn’t enough strong evidence to show that screening everyone would do more good than harm.
In November 2025, the UK NSC made a draft recommendation. This is for men with or gene changes.
Evidence shows that having a BRCA increases your risk of developing prostate cancer. But it does not mean you will definitely develop cancer. There is also strong evidence that men with BRCA2 gene changes are more likely to develop fast growing prostate cancer. Fast growing cancers progress quickly and cause harm without treatment. The evidence is less strong for BRCA1, so we need more research.
The UK NSC recommend inviting men aged 45 to 61 with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene changes for prostate cancer screening every 2 years. This isn’t a definite recommendation yet.
The UK NSC will get feedback about this from doctors, researchers, organisations and the public over the next few months. The UK NSC will carefully review the responses. They then decide whether to keep this recommendation, change it or withdraw it.
The Ministers for Health and Chief Medical Officers from each UK nation then consider any recommendations. Health systems usually need to test screening programmes as a pilot before rolling it out to everyone. So it can take many years before screening programmes are available throughout the UK.
Read more about these draft recommendations
Prostate cancer has been linked to changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
Everyone has BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. They are important genes that stop the cells in our body from growing and dividing out of control. A fault in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene means that the cells can grow out of control. This can lead to cancer.
Changes to BRCA1 and BRCA2 are quite rare. It is estimated that only between 1 in 400 and 1 in 300 people have this gene change.
PSA stands for prostate specific antigen. It’s a protein made by both normal and cancerous prostate cells. It's normal for all men to have some PSA in their blood.
Although the PSA test helps to detect some cancers, research shows it is not a reliable screening test in all men.
This is because the PSA test is not reliable enough to detect prostate cancer that needs treatment. The PSA test can:
miss some cancers - this is called a false negative
suggest someone has cancer when they don’t - this is called a false positive
lead to overdiagnosis – this is when someone is diagnosed with a cancer that would not have caused them any harm in their life
Many prostate cancers grow and spread very slowly and would not cause any harm in someone’s lifetime. But the PSA test can’t tell which people have prostate cancer like this. And which have prostate cancer that is likely to progress quickly and cause harm without treatment.
Overdiagnosis is the diagnosis of a cancer that wouldn’t have gone on to cause harm. Detecting these cancers, often through screening, can lead to:
having treatments you don’t need
anxiety
treatment side effects, without any real benefit
A high level of PSA can be a sign of prostate cancer. But your PSA level can also be raised because of other conditions that aren't cancer. This includes:
a urine infection
a benign enlarged prostate
The PSA test can also miss some prostate cancers. A major study showed that:
around 15 out of 100 men with a normal PSA level (around 15%) have prostate cancer - this is a false negative
around 75 out of 100 men (around 75%) with a raised PSA do not have prostate cancer - this is a false positive
Because of this, and the risk of over diagnosis, the PSA test on its own is not recommended as a screening test for prostate cancer.
Men over 50 can usually ask their GP for a PSA blood test if they want. Your GP will explain the potential benefits and risks of having a PSA test. Together you can decide whether or not to have the PSA test.
Researchers have looked at the PSA test for prostate cancer screening. This was to screen those without symptoms. But overall studies show that this only leads to a small reduction in the number of men dying from prostate cancer. Studies also show that some men are diagnosed with a prostate cancer that would not have caused problems or needed treatment.
Researchers are inviting some men to join a large trial called TRANSFORM. This trial is looking for the best way to screen men for prostate cancer. The researchers are comparing screening tests including fast MRI scans, genetic spit tests and PSA blood tests. They will then look at the most promising screening tests to see how well they detect prostate cancer. They will also look at what harm the tests cause. Visit Prostate Cancer UK to read more about the TRANSFORM trial
Other research is ongoing to improve prostate cancer screening. This includes:
screening men at increased risk to see how certain gene changes affect their risk
using a saliva test to look for gene changes to tell who has an increased risk of prostate cancer
using new types of MRI scan to screen for early prostate cancers
new blood and saliva tests
More research is needed to find out whether these tests are reliable enough to detect prostate cancer.
Find out more about research for prostate cancer
Speak to your GP if you are worried about your risk of prostate cancer. Some people are more likely to develop prostate cancer than others.
Find out more about the risks and causes of prostate cancer
You have to have a genetic test to find out if you have a change to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Talk to your GP if you are worried about your family history of cancer. They can discuss whether you need a referral to a genetics clinic. Find out more about inherited cancer genes and cancer risk
Talk to your GP if you have urinary symptoms such as difficulty passing urine. The symptoms don't mean that you have prostate cancer, but it is important to get them checked.
Last reviewed: 28 Nov 2025
Next review due: 28 Nov 2028
Prostate cancer doesn't usually cause any symptoms in the early stages.
Your GP will ask about your general health and any urinary symptoms you may have. They may also do some general tests and examine your prostate gland.
Your GP should arrange for you to see a prostate cancer specialist if you have symptoms that could be due to prostate cancer.
You have a number of tests to check for prostate cancer. These may include a digital rectal examination, a PSA blood test, scans and a biopsy.
Your risk of developing prostate cancer depends on many things including age, family history and ethnicity.
Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland. The prostate gland is found at the base of the bladder and is about the size of a walnut.
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