A prostate cancer charity has voiced concerns regarding the planned introduction of at-home prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, urging for greater clarity on how men with the disease will utilise them.
While Prostate Cancer UK welcomed the Government’s new men’s health strategy, the organisation stressed that further development is required before such tests can be endorsed for home use.
The strategy outlines that from 2027, subject to clinical validation, the Government intends to "introduce support to individuals who are on prostate cancer active monitoring pathways to order and complete PSA blood tests at home".
Chiara De Biase, director of health services, equity and improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We’re pleased to see the Government prioritising improvement of men’s experience of prostate cancer care in its new men’s health strategy.
“The strategy discusses the use of at-home testing kits for PSA blood tests for men on active monitoring pathways, following clinical validation of these tests from 2027.
“This is an area of the strategy where we’re asking for more detail and we hope to know more in the coming weeks.”
She added: “Whilst there are a range of at-home PSA self-test kits on the market currently, the accuracy and safety of these tests is not proven, and so we cannot recommend them based on current evidence.
“What we do know is that getting a PSA blood test from a healthcare professional is the current standard of care on the NHS and that the way prostate cancer is now diagnosed and treated in the NHS is safer and more accurate than it’s ever been, driven by advances like the introduction of MRI scans.
“The PSA blood test is the best first test for signs of prostate cancer and is used effectively as part of active surveillance and monitoring programmes when carried out by healthcare professionals.
“We will be working closely with DHSC and the NHS to support implementation of the changes put forward in the strategy.
“But, for today, any men worried about their risk of prostate cancer or looking to find out more about testing can take Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second online risk checker.
“With a few simple questions, it helps men understand their risk, and if they are at increased risk what they can choose to do about it, including speaking to their GP about the pros and cons of having a PSA blood test.”
PSA is a protein produced by normal cells of the prostate gland as well as those that are cancerous.
Prostate cancer can cause PSA levels to rise but so can other conditions such as prostatitis.
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is currently reviewing prostate cancer screening and is expected to make recommendations before the end of this month.
At present, it says the PSA test is not accurate enough to detect prostate cancer that needs treatment, arguing it can also miss cases of the disease.
As a result, men may have to undergo unnecessary and invasive tests and/or unnecessary treatment, it says.
Studies are currently looking at whether combining blood tests with other scans and test can improve detection.
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