The SELFCHECK Prostate Health Test is an easy to use finger prick blood spot home test that detects raised levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) associated with abnormalities of the prostate gland. Health issues related to the prostate gland become more common as men get older.
To use your test, you will need to use one of the single-use finger prickers supplied to obtain a blood sample, and apply to the lateral flow test cassette. One line on the test cassette results window means a negative result, and two lines means a positive result.
- Results in 10 minutes
- Over 87% accurate compared to laboratory tests*
- Contains 1 test
Although PSA is regarded as a marker for prostate cancer, a high PSA level is more likely to be due to other reasons such as prostatitis, an enlarged prostate or a urine infection.
About 3 in 4 men with a raised PSA level will not have cancer and around 1 in 7 men with a normal PSA level will have prostate cancer.
Ensure you are aware of the pros and cons of PSA testing before you decide to test.
Pros:
- it may reassure you if the test result is normal
- it can find early signs of cancer, meaning you can get treated early
- PSA testing may reduce your risk of dying if you do have cancer
Cons:
- it can miss some cancers and provide false reassurance
- it may lead to unnecessary worry and medical tests if there's no cancer
- it cannot tell the difference between slow-growing and fast-growing cancers
- it may make you worry by finding a slow-growing cancer that may never cause any problems
In the UK, men over 50 years without symptoms, can request a PSA test from their doctor.
