Overview

• The population-based analysis covered 10,235,805 men, with 1,521,116 receiving at least one PSA test and 3,835,440 tests recorded from 2000 to 2018.
• Testing rose five-fold over the period, often involving men without symptoms or with PSA values below referral thresholds, and nearly half of tested men were retested.
• Among retested patients, 73% never exceeded referral levels, and average intervals were just over 12 months overall and 17 months for consistently low PSA, which is shorter than most guidance.
• Testing was concentrated among older men and those who are white and less deprived, with the highest rates in the South East and the lowest in the North East.
• Study authors and a linked editorial caution that celebrity disclosures can drive unregulated surges and costs, and NICE says it will review and update prostate cancer guidance.