Why should you consider getting a prostate cancer screening
November 15 2022 | News
In the UK, whilst there may be screening programmes for breast cancer or bowel cancer, there is currently no prostate cancer screening programme available in the UK. Given that this cancer can have no symptoms in the early stages, this means that it will go undetected until it starts causing symptoms or has spread already, meaning that treatment would obviously start later than if it had been detected earlier.
The prostate blood test that was used in the past was the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. This test would measure the level of prostate-specific antigen you have, giving you a good indication of if you have prostate cancer or not. When it comes to how we perform a screening for prostate cancer, we’ll take into account not just your needs, but also recommend not just a single PSA test, but also with our Well Man profile too to look at your general health. This is the best value for assessing many health parameters rather than requesting tests individually.
There are significant cases where men between the ages of 40-50 years have raised PSA results and whilst this is unlikely to indicate prostate cancer, if it is elevated and remains elevated, then all the more reason to monitor as this may suggest a greater propensity for prostate cancer to develop later. The NHS does not offer PSA tests routinely to any man under the age of 50. However, if you have a relative who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer or you have black or mixed black ethnicity then you are at an enhanced risk of developing prostate cancer. We recognise your concern about these risks which are personal to you and are able to provide a prostate cancer screening service when the NHS currently does not provide this type of service.
Getting a fast, affordable prostate cancer screening with Summerfield Healthcare
At Summerfield Healthcare, we believe that all test results need reading in context and as stand-alone data, test results on their own are of limited value. We believe that you should be able to take control of monitoring your health and you can select your own tests. To give these true meaning and value, a consultation in person or online with one of our experienced GPs will enable you to learn what your results mean for you.
For example, your past medical history and family medical history are all highly relevant. If your PSA is raised then you should certainly arrange a face-to-face appointment, something which we specialise in, to examine you further.
Of equal importance to identifying cancer early is not worrying about cancer unnecessarily as this also adversely affects your quality of life. The ultimate reassurance is to have an appointment with our GPs to have a thorough history taken; you need to be examined properly and have blood tests organised according to your specific needs. The ultimate backstop test is now Trucheck which looks for actual prostate cancer cells. This test is fully validated but is not available on the NHS.
Whilst PSA levels can fluctuate (they will be raised if the prostate is simply inflamed for example), there is a revolutionary new blood test – Trucheck. Trucheck is looking for specific cancer cells which have detached from a tumour and are circulating in your blood so it is incredibly accurate. To test solely for prostate cancer costs £450 plus the blood draw charge. You can add on any other tests you want at the same time (such as the Well man profile which includes the PSA test and many more). To be eligible for Trucheck and to ensure that you are having the appropriate test and prepared for whatever result may come back, pre-test counselling is required. This can take the form of an online or in person GP consultation at which you can raise any other concerns or worries in your own time and be examined properly.
We can guide you through the prostate cancer check process, saving you time, money and worry on tests you don’t need
Most men will admit that they would rather avoid a doctor if they could but the UK is now entering a new era of healthcare where you can see a doctor privately and have healthcare that is specifically tailored to your needs, not treated as one of the crowd but as an individual. We specialise in face to face consultations with experienced GPs with minimal waiting times and you can go to any of our clinics for ease of access.
You only pay for what you need and get exactly what you pay for.
Given that prostate cancer is common and that there is no national screening service, it makes sense not to stick your head in the sand about this and get something done about it.
If any of your prostate blood tests or examination findings are abnormal, what do you do?
We provide post-test GP consultation in person or online. It may be the case that blood tests should be repeated after an interval of time ranging from months to a year or two. We provide you with the appropriate clinical advice to manage any concerns or risks.
If you need to be referred to a specialist then we shall process this quickly. Whilst we can not refer you back to the NHS, we can provide all the information to your GP to make the referral. In our experience, the time and stress saved by seeing a specialist privately is preferred by our patients. Why wait? You can see a specialist privately anywhere in the UK and we shall ensure that they have all the information they need to advise you what you need to do.
Why choose Summerfield Healthcare as your private healthcare provider for your prostate cancer screening?
There are over 68 million people in the UK but our service treats you like an individual.
There is no national screening programme for prostate cancer so there is no reason not to organise your own assessment. It may be that you do it once, the results are reassuring and you retest in several year’s time (as the risk of prostate cancer increases with age). You have the reassurance you were looking for and confidence in your health.
If the result of the prostate blood test requires further testing or assessment, then you can know right away and can do something about it. That’s a good thing. You wouldn’t want to wait and be given worse news would you? Of course not. You can have an online consultation, or appointment with a GP or to have a blood test at any one of our clinics and have the results back for a simple blood test within just a day or two (turn around time or Trucheck is 14 days at the laboratory).
Looking for a fast, affordable way to get yourself a prostate cancer check? Summerfield Healthcare’s Well Man Medical service can help detect any health issues that can be found and be given an early assessment or diagnosis. For any questions about our Well Man Medical service, please contact our team today.