To test, or not to test…
 A new resource has been launched to assist GPs and nurses advising men about whether to have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer.
The test is currently available to men over 50 on request from their GP but its benefits are not proven, with some men having unnecessary invasive investigations following their results.
The project sees the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes working in partnership with the charity DIPEx, whose website provides access to personal accounts of health and illness, and evidence-based information. A new section of the DIPEx site on PSA testing has been added which provides a range of first hand experiences from men who have considered taking the test and balanced information about PSA testing.
Julietta Patnick, Director, NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, said: “I hope health professionals will use the DIPEx site in addition to the materials already provided by the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme to help men make an informed choice.”
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