When should I get a prostate cancer check?
Any age with symptoms. Otherwise from 50 if worried, or 45 if you’re Black or have a family history. Ask your GP: most men get no NHS screening. The PSA blood test can miss cancer.
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At what age should you get a prostate check?
With symptoms, go at any age. Without them, Prostate Cancer UK says you might want to ask your GP from 50 if you’re worried about your risk.
Your risk is higher if you’re Black or prostate cancer runs in your family. Then the charity strongly recommends talking to your GP about a PSA test (a blood test) from 45.
| You are | What to do |
|---|---|
| Any age, with symptoms | See a GP. |
| Over 40, with a faulty BRCA2 gene | See a GP. This gene raises your risk. |
| 45 or over, Black or with a family history | Talk to your GP about a PSA test. |
| Over 50 and worried about your risk | You might want to ask your GP about tests. |
| Under 40, no symptoms | There’s no evidence a PSA test helps. |
Sources: NHS; Prostate Cancer UK; Prostate Cancer UK: risk
Risk climbs with age. About 1 in 8 UK men are diagnosed in their lifetime, most often between 70 and 74. For Black men it’s about 1 in 4.
If a row fits you, book a GP appointment. Over 50? See blood tests for men over 50 too.
Is there prostate cancer screening in the UK?
Not for most men. Screening means testing people who have no symptoms.
The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend it for all men. It found screening everyone is more likely to cause more harm than good. The main harms are leaking urine and erection problems in men who didn’t need treatment.
| Group | Ruling |
|---|---|
| Men aged 45 to 61 with a faulty BRCA2 gene and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer | Screen with a PSA test every 2 years. |
| All men | Not recommended. |
| Family history, but no faulty BRCA2 gene | Not recommended. |
| Black men | Not decided. Research is still going on. |
Source: UK National Screening Committee
The government accepted this for England in June 2026, with the plan to start in 2027. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are still considering it.
Not in that group? You can still ask a GP about PSA testing.
What does a prostate cancer test involve?
The main test is a PSA blood test. PSA is a protein made by your prostate, a walnut-sized gland under your bladder. High levels may be a sign of a prostate problem.
What usually happens at a prostate check
- 1
Talk
Your GP asks about your health and may ask if family members had prostate, breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer.
- 2
Tests
A PSA blood test. You may also have a pee test and a rectal exam.
- 3
Results
These usually take 1 to 2 weeks.
- 4
If it’s raised
You may have another PSA test. If it’s still high, your GP may refer you for an MRI scan of your prostate and maybe a biopsy, where a thin needle takes a tiny sample to check.
Sources: NHS: symptoms; NHS: PSA test; NHS: tests
In a rectal exam, a doctor or nurse wears gloves and puts gel on 1 finger. They gently put it inside your bottom to check your prostate.
You can ask for a male or female doctor or nurse, if one’s available. You can bring someone into the room too.
You don’t have to have the rectal exam. It’s usually only needed if you have symptoms, and you can choose the blood test alone.
Looking for a self check? The NHS doesn’t describe one you can do at home. Prostate Cancer UK has a 30-second online risk checker instead.
Our PSA blood test guide covers PSA levels by age.
Is the PSA test accurate?
Not fully. It can miss cancer, and it can give false alarms.
One major study found 1 in 7 men with a normal PSA may have prostate cancer. And 1 in 50 may have a fast-growing one.
The other way round, around 72 to 80 in 100 men with a raised PSA don’t have prostate cancer.
Testing can also find slow cancers that are unlikely to cause problems. Treating those can cause leaking urine or erection problems with no real benefit.
But most men with low-risk cancer that hasn’t spread now have it carefully monitored instead. And the test can help pick up a fast-growing cancer early, when treatment could stop it spreading.
Four questions to ask yourself first
- Am I at increased risk of prostate cancer?
- If my PSA level was normal, would this reassure me?
- What would happen if my PSA level was higher than expected?
- If I had a slow-growing cancer that might never cause problems, would I still want treatment, even with side effects?
Source: Prostate Cancer UK
Talk them through with your GP or practice nurse before you decide.
How to ask your GP for a PSA test
Book a normal appointment and say you’d like to talk about a PSA test. You don’t need symptoms to ask.
Your GP will go through the pros and cons. If you then decide you want a test, Prostate Cancer UK says your GP should give you one.
The exception: without symptoms, they may not recommend it if you wouldn’t be fit enough for treatment. Or if treatment wouldn’t help you live longer.
Before your GP appointment
- Write down any changes in how you pee, and when they started.
- Find out if a relative had prostate cancer, or a close relative had breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer.
- Ask for a male or female doctor or nurse if you’d prefer one.
- For 48 hours before a PSA test, don’t ejaculate, have anal sex, ride a bike or do anything that leaves you out of breath.
- Had a urine infection? Wait 4 to 6 weeks after it clears before a PSA test.
- If your GP says no, ask another GP or practice nurse, then the practice manager.
Sources: NHS: causes; NHS: PSA test; Prostate Cancer UK
Got a raised result back? See high PSA levels for what happens next.
When to speak to a GP
- You have trouble peeing: straining, a weak or stop-start flow, needing to go urgently or often, feeling you haven’t finished, or peeing at night.
- You have erection problems, or blood in your pee or semen.
- You have lower back pain and lose weight without trying. These may be signs of advanced prostate cancer.
- You’re over 40 and genetic tests showed a faulty BRCA2 gene, or you’re worried about your risk.
- Your symptoms change, get worse or don’t feel normal. They can also come from an enlarged prostate, which isn’t cancer.
Your GP may refer you urgently if they think your symptoms could be cancer. That doesn’t definitely mean you have it.