A recent study led by School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) colleagues at the University of Exeter, alongside collaborators at the University of Manchester, University College London (UCL), and the University of Newcastle, has uncovered significant disparities in the use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing across general practitioner (GP) practices in England. This research, supported by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and leveraging by the SPCR, builds upon prior SPCR-funded projects (511, 514, 677) focused on prostate cancer detection in primary care.
Analysing data from over 9,800 prostate cancer patients recorded in the 2018 English National Cancer Diagnosis Audit, the study found that only one in five men were diagnosed following a PSA test conducted without prior symptoms—a figure lower than previously estimated. The PSA test remains the sole diagnostic tool for prostate cancer in the UK, a disease that has become the nation's most prevalent cancer, with over 55,000 new cases annually.
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