70 percent of men in UK don’t know to ask for a PSA test

A recent survey has revealed rhat a fifth of men in at-risk age groups who ask their general practitioner for a test used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer have their requests turned down. The same test revealed that seven out of 10 men are unaware they even have the right to ask for a PSA blood test, which for some could be a lifesaver.

The results also showed that men from less affluent backgrounds were more likely to be uninformed about the test. They were three times less likely to request a PSA blood reading than men from higher socio-economic groups.

According to The Prostate Cancer Charity, this situation is completely unacceptable as for many men, undergoing a PSA test could expose a slow growing cancer which may never cause a problem - even without treatment. At the same time, for men with an aggressive cancer, who have no symptoms of the disease, the test may be the only way the disease will be identified at a time when effective treatment can be offered.