Get tested
A PSA test is a blood test. Ten minutes. Free.
You don't need symptoms. You don't need a reason. If you're a Black man over 45 — or any man over 50 — you can ask your GP for one and they should give it to you.
Do it now
Book the test
Two things, and it's done: find your surgery, and take the sentence below in with you.
Find your GP surgery
Say exactly this
"I'd like a PSA test. I'm at higher risk of prostate cancer, and I've made an informed decision to have the test."
Under NHS rules, a man over 50 — or over 45 if he is Black or has a family history — who says he has made an informed decision should be given the test.
Who's at higher risk
- You're Black — 1 in 4 chance, double the risk of white men
- Your father or brother had it — your risk is 2½ times higher
- You're over 50 — risk rises with age
- Your mother or sister had breast cancer — can raise your risk too
What happens next
Each stage only happens if the one before it found something. Most men never get past the first.
- 1
A blood test
Ten minutes, at your surgery
A nurse takes blood from your arm. Results come back in about a week.
Most men stop here. A normal PSA means nothing more happens.
- 2
An MRI scan
Only if your PSA is raised
A scan of the prostate, to see whether there is anything worth looking at more closely.
Most raised PSAs are not cancer — infection, a large prostate, even cycling can raise it.
- 3
A biopsy
Only if the MRI shows something
Small samples taken and examined. This is the stage that can actually diagnose cancer.
Symptoms — but don't wait for them
Early prostate cancer usually has none. Later signs: needing to pee more often, especially at night · a weak flow or straining · feeling your bladder hasn't emptied · blood in urine or semen · pain in your back, hips or pelvis.
Any of these — see your GP this week.
Do you know your risk?
Good. Still book a PSA test at 50 — or 45 if you're Black.
Questions to take to your doctor
- What's my PSA number, and what's normal for my age?
- Given my ethnicity and family history, how often should I test?
- If it's raised, what happens next and how quickly?
- Can I have a copy of my results?
This page is general information from Prostate Cancer UK and the NHS, not medical advice. Talk to your GP.