Prostate Cancer Risk Management:
Informed Choice about the PSA Test

Helping GPs and Practice Nurses provide men with an informed choice about PSA Testing

Published 25th September, 2002

Over 100 GPs and Primary Care Cancer Leads have been consulted to produce a new user friendly information pack to help GPs and practice nurses give clear and balanced information to men who are considering having a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.

Launched today, this new information initiative meets the commitment in the NHS Cancer Plan to develop an educational programme about prostate cancer for professionals and patients.

The pack, produced by the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes and Cancer Research UK, comprises a booklet of tear-off patient information leaflets which GPs and practice nurses can give to men to take home following a consultation. It also includes a summary sheet, Cancer Research UK statistic sheets, and a booklet about the PSA test and prostate cancer which together will act as easy references to aid GPs and practice nurses.

Julietta Patnick, National Coordinator for the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes said:

"The issues surrounding PSA testing are complex. We felt it necessary to carry out the consultative process to help ensure that the materials provided really are of benefit to health professionals and their male patients."

Sir Paul Nurse, Cancer Research UK's Chief Executive says:

"As a charity we are committed to providing balanced and accurate information about the issues surrounding cancer and we are proud to have been involved in producing this important information pack."

"We hope that the information contained in this pack will enable men to make relevant and informed decisions about their health. This is particularly vital as we know that prostate cancer will affect one in 14 men in their lifetime."

The NHS Cancer Screening Programmes have also worked with Cancerbacup to produce a booklet called Understanding the PSA Test for men requesting further information about prostate cancer and the PSA test. Joanne Rule, Chief Executive of Cancerbacup, said:

"This pack is a real step forward in helping GPs and practice nurses talk to men about the issues surrounding prostate cancer and the PSA test. We are also delighted that Cancerbacup's booklet Understanding the PSA test has been recommended for men considering having the test. We believe it is crucial that men have enough information to enable them to make up their own minds."

John Neate, Chief Executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, commented:

"We welcome the launch of this programme which will assist primary care teams in providing balanced advice to men who are seeking the PSA test and making important decisions on prostate health. This advice will become increasingly important as awareness of prostate cancer continues to grow."

Notes to Editors:

1. The PSA test is a blood test that measures the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. PSA is a substance made by the prostate gland, which naturally leaks out into the blood stream. A raised PSA can be an early indication of prostate cancer. However, other conditions which are not cancer (e.g. enlargement of the prostate, prostatitis, and urinary infection) can also cause a rise in PSA.

2. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the UK.¹

3. The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is 1 in 14¹

4. The strongest risk factor of prostate cancer is age. Prostate cancer is largely a disease of older men and is rare below the age of 50. Over 90 per cent of prostate cancer deaths occur in the 65 and over age group. The median age for both diagnosis and mortality is 75 years.²

5. In 1999, 9,491 men died from the disease in the UK.¹

¹ Cancer Research UK, Prostate CancerStats 2002. London, Cancer Research UK

²Selley, S. Donovan, J. Moss, S. Brown, J. Diagnosis, management, treatment and costs of prostate cancer in England and Wales. Health Technol Assess 1997 1 (3): 1-53