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ProsDetect II Study: Optimising Primary Care Risk Stratification for Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer

Most prostate cancers are diagnosed after a blood test measures too much prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the patient’s blood. Despite the number of prostate cancers it finds, there is some debate around how the PSA test should be used and with which patients. This is because PSA can be high when there is no prostate cancer, and many of the prostate cancers it finds are slow growing and would not cause symptoms or threaten the life of the patient. This puts the patient at risk of complications from the investigations needed to find out if there is actually a prostate cancer, and at risk of going through unnecessary treatment which can be unpleasant and debilitating but without improving their life expectancy.

For these reasons, the PSA test is not recommended for patients aged ≥80 years old unless they are experiencing the symptoms of advanced cancer, but we know many PSA tests are still given to older patients and GPs value guidance on how to speak to older patients about stopping testing. This study is about how older patients make decisions about having the PSA test and what information they would like to make those decisions.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

We want to interview 50 people aged 80 or older with a prostate about their experiences and views on PSA testing as an older adult. These interviews will cover:

  • Whether they have spoken to their GP about prostate cancer or PSA testing in the past.
  • What information they would find useful when making decisions about PSA testing.
  • How they think about prostate cancer in the wider context of their health.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET

If you are someone aged 80 years and older with a prostate and you are interested in taking part in the ProsDetect II study, please read our Participant Information Sheet.


Expected Impact

The results of this study will be presented at national and international conferences and shared with stakeholders including patients, health care professionals, and policy makers. Our aim is that they help to guide conversations and recommendations around PSA testing in older people so that only those who are likely to benefit are tested.


This project was funded by NIHR School for Primary Care Research

Project members: