paul (@[email protected])

@Kierkegaanks PSA Consensus 2024 Optimising the use of the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test in asymptomatic men for early prostate cancer detection in primary care: Report from a UK clinical consensus. The consensus has highlighted several areas where changes to policy and practice should be considered. There is a need to raise awareness of prostate cancer among men aged 50+, or from aged 45 for Black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer. Responsibility for raising awareness of prostate cancer is shared by charities, the NHS (primary and secondary care), Governments, and public health bodies. Statements about the readiness for screening of asymptomatic men men in the UK did not reach consensus - with some panelists strongly agreeing and others strongly disagreeing. Concerns around overdiagnosis and overtreatment associated with PSA testing remain. However, consensus was reached on the following statements: The PSA blood test is the first step in the prostate cancer diagnostic pathway. It is a cheap, safe, and effective way of identifying men who would benefit from further testing – in the first instance an MRI scan. The balance of benefits and harms is shifting in favour of screening, but evidence gaps remain, and more research is needed. To tackle inequalities of access and reduce burden on primary care, the NHS should commission services that enable men at risk of prostate cancer to access PSA testing outside of primary care. https://prostatecanceruk.org/for-health-professionals/guidelines/psa-consensus-2024 [translation]: we don't have the resources to manage early prostate cancer; go private.