BBCAt-home exams for males apprehensive about prostate most cancers can provide inconsistent and inaccurate outcomes, BBC Information has discovered.
The exams, which resemble a Covid lateral circulate strip, flip constructive if a excessive degree of a protein referred to as PSA is detected in a drop of blood.
Of 5 speedy exams analysed by the BBC, one didn’t work, three had been damaging or all-clear, however one returned a false constructive outcome – all from the identical blood pattern.
Prostate Most cancers UK stated it had vital issues in regards to the sale of the exams given their “questionable accuracy” and the absence of a health care provider to interpret the outcomes.
Fifty and older
There isn’t any nationwide prostate most cancers screening programme within the UK, in contrast to for breast, bowel and cervical most cancers.
As an alternative, the onus is on males to request a blood check from their GP once they are over 50 years old, or from 45 for increased danger teams.
That NHS check, which is processed in a laboratory, measures the extent of PSA launched by the prostate, a small gland concerned within the manufacturing of semen.
A excessive PSA degree doesn’t imply you might have most cancers however is a warning signal which might then result in additional scans and exams to rule out the illness.
PSA ranges will be excessive for plenty of different causes – together with an an infection, latest vigorous train or intercourse – or in some uncommon circumstances stay regular regardless of most cancers.
Google search knowledge suggests curiosity in testing has risen sharply for the reason that Olympic bike owner Sir Chris Hoy went public with his own diagnosis in October 2024.
Dozens of firms now promote self-testing kits designed to measure PSA ranges.
They’re obtainable on-line and from some pharmacies and comfort shops with costs from £6 to £95.
They arrive in two essential sorts:
- exams during which a blood pattern is taken at dwelling and posted to a personal laboratory for evaluation
- speedy exams which give a end in minutes and show a darkish line if PSA is detected above a sure degree
The BBC analysed 5 speedy exams all purchased on-line from totally different firms, utilizing a blood pattern taken on the identical day.
The UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, says in its steerage that over-the-counter PSA kits are “not a dependable indicator of prostate most cancers” and should not “declare to detect most cancers”.
As an alternative, at-home exams are sometimes marketed as a approach to “display screen” for the illness or “assess prostate most cancers danger”, language the regulator says can be allowed underneath the present guidelines.
One of many dwelling exams ordered by the BBC additionally arrived in packaging and with directions clearly marked “for skilled use solely”.
For somebody with no medical expertise, the kits will be tough to make use of.
A disposable lancet should pierce the pores and skin, earlier than drops of blood will be sucked right into a pipette, blended with a chemical and positioned within the check cassette.
Of the 5 kits analysed by the BBC, one didn’t produce a readable outcome; three got here again all clear; however one did present a strong darkish line, indicating a PSA degree above 4.0 ug/l.
A non-public blood check taken the identical day and despatched to a laboratory confirmed a a lot decrease studying of 0.27 ug/l.
“As your expertise reveals, these speedy exams seem to have questionable accuracy,” says Amy Rylance, assistant director of well being enchancment at Prostate Most cancers UK.
“That is an enormous drawback as a result of they’ll falsely reassure individuals who actually do have elevated ranges of PSA and will search additional testing, or they’ll trigger undue fear amongst people who find themselves completely high-quality.”
On-line evaluations seem to bear that out.
In a single, a buyer posted that he was “actually scared” after two speedy dwelling exams indicated a excessive PSA degree. A later NHS check confirmed his studying was regular.
In one other one-star evaluate, a girl wrote that her husband took two dwelling exams for “peace of thoughts” and each had been damaging. An NHS blood check then confirmed excessive ranges of PSA and he was recognized with stage 4 prostate most cancers.
The British In Vitro Diagnostics Affiliation, which represents the blood testing business, says that whereas dwelling exams are applicable in lots of circumstances, “this specific sort of [PSA] check might not give an correct indication of prostate well being when taken outdoors the NHS”.
As an alternative it says males involved they could have most cancers ought to see their GP.
Within the NHS, medical doctors usually use PSA testing as a part of a wider session about prostate well being, bringing in different danger elements like age, ethnicity and household historical past.
Dr Sam Merriel, a GP and prostate most cancers researcher on the College of Manchester, says a full NHS laboratory check can provide a much more detailed image than an affordable dwelling equipment that’s both constructive or damaging.
“The precise PSA studying is actually necessary to grasp as a result of, as a GP, if I noticed a PSA of 4.0 I would be treating that very in another way from a PSA of 400,” he provides.
“You simply do not get that degree of data from a quick dwelling check, so sufferers may not get the complete image.”
‘Dangerously outdated’
Prostate Most cancers UK describes the expansion of dwelling testing as “the symptom of a wider drawback”.
“Too many males nonetheless do not realise they’ll entry exams by way of a GP and the rules for medical doctors are dangerously outdated,” says Amy Rylance from the charity.
Sir Chris Hoy has been calling for the age to be lowered at which these at increased danger, similar to black males or these with a household historical past, can ask their GP for PSA testing.
The federal government says present pointers mustn’t cease medical doctors from providing a check underneath the age of fifty, however critics say the foundations are unclear and there are big variations in analysis charges between GP surgical procedures.
Prostate Most cancers UK has additionally been calling for a change to permit medics to proactively speak to increased danger sufferers in regards to the execs and cons of testing as a substitute of ready for them to come back ahead.
A spokesman for the Division of Well being says it has requested the UK Nationwide Screening Committee, which advises the NHS, to evaluate the proof on testing, with a response anticipated later this 12 months.
“Prostate most cancers sufferers are ready too lengthy for analysis and therapy however by way of our Nationwide Most cancers Plan we are going to rework the best way we deal with most cancers,” he added.
