Our position on community PSA blood testing

In the absence of a national prostate cancer screening programme for all men at risk, we understand the desire for individuals and organisations to run their own PSA testing events. These events are often driven by an emotional connection to prostate cancer and a desire to ‘prevent other men going through what I’ve been through’.

The UK NSC’s latest recommendations reinforces our position that we do not endorse, organise, or encourage community-based PSA testing events.

We hold this position because, as with all medical tests, there's the risk of harm. Not just from the test itself but from the results and what may come next. When it comes to something as important as prostate cancer, we believe the management of that risk at every step is best supported by a trained healthcare professional.

UK NSC recommendations on prostate cancer screening

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) updated their recommendations on prostate cancer screening in May 2026. Based on evidence reviews, health economics modelling, and a public consultation, the UK NSC:

• Recommends a targeted screening programme, involving PSA testing every 2 years, for men aged 45 to 61 who have a BRCA2 gene variant with a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, or prostate cancer.

• Does not recommend population screening for this condition.

• Does not recommend targeted screening for any other risk groups (Black men or men with a family history of prostate cancer).

Although a small step in the right direction, this is a disappointing decision and a blow to thousands of at-risk men across the UK.

Find out more about the UK NSC screening recommendations

Supporting informed-choice

Our role hasn't changed and we'll continue to raise awareness of prostate cancer and support men to understand that:

• it's their individual choice whether to get tested for prostate cancer.

• PSA blood-testing has pros and cons.

• those pros and cons differ in relation to an individual’s risk factors, and overall circumstances.

Our online 30-second Risk Checker provides evidence-based information that supports informed choice:

Check your risk.

We welcome the support of anyone wanting to support early diagnosis work that helps prevent men being diagnosed late. If you’re interested in this, please contact the community awareness team for more information and guidance.

Organising or attending a PSA testing event

If you're still thinking about organising or attending a PSA testing event, we recommend you carefully consider the below.

The first step to check for prostate cancer is a PSA blood test. You might think it’s always good to have routine tests for cancer, but there are pros and cons to PSA testing. That’s why PSA tests aren’t routinely included in NHS health checks (screening), and a GP won’t tell you when to get tested.

Here are some important points that organisers and men need to know:

• Men should be told they have a right to a free PSA blood test via their GP.

• Men should be given balanced information on the pros and cons of the PSA blood test to support informed choice.

• Men should have access to a healthcare professional who can support them to understand – their individual risk factors for prostate cancer, the pros and cons of the PSA blood test.

• Men should not be left to interpret the results of a PSA blood test without appropriate support from a healthcare professional.

• The results of a man’s PSA test, and other relevant information to support onward referral, should be linked to their GP medical record.

• Men should be aware that it is likely their GP will repeat the PSA blood test, and potentially request other tests, before they decide on next steps.

• A man with a raised PSA should be followed up by his GP and should be referred to the hospital for further tests (such as an MRI scan and biopsy) to diagnose or rule out prostate cancer.

It's almost always better to speak to a GP if you want to discuss your prostate cancer risk and the PSA blood test.

What are we doing about screening?

We’re finding the best way to screen men for prostate cancer.

The Government has backed our ground-breaking TRANSFORM trial with an additional investment of £18m - a major step forward on the path to screening. It brings total investment in TRANSFORM to around £60m, making it the largest prostate cancer screening trial for 20 years and the most representative of the UK population ever taken.

Our TRANSFORM trial is the critical research that will finally get us to a screening programme for all men, closing the gaps in the evidence and building the strongest possible case for screening.

Find out more about TRANSFORM

Support and information

If you're worried about your risk of prostate cancer, we recommend using our online Risk Checker as a quick, easy and free way to help you make an informed choice.

If you need to speak to someone, you can talk to one of our experts by contacting our Risk Information Service on 0800 448 0821.

You can read more about pros and cons of the PSA test, and about at home testing kits on our website. 

Last updated: August 2026