Early prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms. Even people diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer may have no symptoms. Difficulty passing urine is not always a symptom of prostate cancer, but you should see your doctor if you are worried or the following symptoms are ongoing:
- frequent or sudden need to urinate
- blood in the urine or semen
- a slow flow of urine
- needing to get up at night to pass urine
- feeling like your bladder is not empty after passing urine
- unexplained weight loss
- pain in bones, e.g. the neck, back, hips or pelvis.
What screening test should I have?
| What is cancer screening? | Cancer screening is testing to look for cancer in people who don’t have any symptoms. The benefit of screening is that the cancer can be found and treated early. However, it is important that the benefits of screening outweigh any potential harms from treatment side effects. |
| Prostate cancer screening in Australia | There is currently no national screening program for prostate cancer (national guidelines were under review at publication time). |
| The PSA test | The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test may identify fast-growing cancers that can spread to other parts of the body and would benefit from treatment. It may also find slow-growing cancers unlikely to be harmful, for which having treatment may cause significant side effects. Some people without symptoms of prostate cancer choose to have regular PSA tests. It is important to talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks in your particular circumstances before having a PSA. |
| PSA testing guidelines | If you choose to have regular PSA tests, the current guidelines recommend that:
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| At-home PSA tests | At-home PSA test kits are not recommended. The tests could be unreliable and do not come with qualified medical advice about the results. |
| Access to PSA testing | A PSA screening test, requested by your doctor, should be available to you for free. Your doctor will also be able to explain what the results of your test mean, and can also refer you for other tests you may need. |
For more information, visit Clinical practice guidelines for PSA testing and early management of test-detected prostate cancer and see Testing for prostate cancer.
→ READ MORE: Prostate cancer diagnosis
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Prof Declan Murphy, Consultant Urologist, Director – Genitourinary Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The University of Melbourne, VIC; Alan Barlee, Consumer; Dr Patrick Bowden, Radiation Oncologist, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, VIC; Bob Carnaby, Consumer; Dr Megan Crumbaker, Medical Oncologist, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, NSW; Henry McGregor, Health Physiotherapist, Adelaide Men’s Health Physio, SA; Jessica Medd, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Department of Urology, Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Headway Health, NSW; Dr Gary Morrison, Shine a Light (LGBTQIA+ Cancer Support Group); Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Graham Rees, Consumer; Kerry Santoro, Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse Consultant, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA; Prof Phillip Stricker, Chairman, Department of Urology, St Vincent’s Private Hospital, NSW; Dr Sylvia van Dyk, Brachytherapy Lead, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC.
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