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Unfortunately, there’s no reliable way to diagnose prostate cancer at home. You’ll need a healthcare provider to examine you and complete the necessary tests to know for sure whether you have prostate cancer. Some at-home tests can help assess your risk, but they also come with drawbacks. It’s important to understand how these tests work and how much you can trust their results. Here’s what you need to know about testing for prostate cancer — at home and with a healthcare provider’s guidance.
You may have seen ads for prostate cancer screening at home. These kits usually test the blood or urine for cancer markers, like high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Some may also check your DNA for genes linked to prostate cancer.
The test kit will include supplies and instructions to take a finger prick or a urine sample. Once you’ve taken the sample, you’ll mail it in and wait to receive your results online or by mail.
Some at-home tests are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For example, the MyProstateScore 2.0 (MPS2) test is an at-home urine test that is FDA-approved. However, just because a test is FDA-approved doesn’t mean you should use it. Current guidelines do not recommend using at-home tests or kits as screening tools.
At-home testing might seem easier than a test at the doctor’s office. Initially, it may seem to be less expensive, depending on your insurance coverage. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you will still need further testing by a healthcare professional before prostate cancer can be diagnosed or ruled out.
Before doing at-home prostate cancer testing, you should talk to a healthcare provider. There are several factors to consider, including the test’s accuracy, the pros and cons of testing, and whether it would be beneficial for you.
There’s no single test for prostate cancer. Instead, your healthcare team will use a series of tests to confirm the diagnosis. No single test is better than the others.
Two common tests your doctor may use are the prostate-specific antigen test and a digital rectal exam. If results are abnormal, they may perform a biopsy.
A digital rectal exam is another test your doctor may conduct. During this test, a healthcare provider feels the rectum to check for changes in the prostate, such as hard lumps. If there are any abnormal findings, they may order a PSA test or imaging tests such as an MRI or CT scan.
The PSA test is a blood test that measures PSA, a substance made by the prostate. PSA levels tend to be higher in people who have prostate cancer, but cancer isn’t the only reason PSA may be elevated. Sometimes PSA is high because of an enlarged prostate or a prostate infection. PSA levels generally increase with age. Some people with prostate cancer can also have normal levels of PSA.
Before jumping to conclusions about high PSA levels, you’ll need your healthcare provider to review your results. They can help you understand what the results mean, check for symptoms and signs of prostate cancer, and discuss your family history and risk factors.
If your healthcare provider suspects you may have prostate cancer, they’ll perform a biopsy to confirm. A prostate biopsy is a minor procedure that involves taking samples of cells from the prostate gland and sending them to a lab for testing.
During or before the biopsy, your provider may also conduct imaging tests (such as an ultrasound or an MRI) to get pictures of your prostate. Overall, the procedure is quick and usually takes about 10 minutes, with local numbing to reduce discomfort.
If you have prostate cancer, catching it in the early stages is crucial. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should get screened.
The general guideline is to consider having routine PSA tests between ages 55 and 69. Your healthcare provider may have more specific recommendations for you based on your risk factors. You should start asking your doctor about prostate cancer screenings around age 40.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, men who are African American or have a family history of certain cancers may benefit from earlier screening, as they have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Your healthcare provider may want you to be screened at a younger age to monitor for changes over time.
If you’re particularly concerned about your health, you may be tempted to get tested outside the recommended age range. While extra screening might seem like a good way to gain peace of mind, it could raise false alarms.
PSA test results can be misleading. It’s normal for PSA levels to increase with age, and the test isn’t always accurate. A high PSA level does not always indicate cancer. Seeing elevated numbers in your test results can be stressful, especially if you fear you have cancer, but you don’t. A high PSA reading can lead to unnecessary stress and additional tests that you might not need.
Your PSA level can also be normal, even if you have prostate cancer. That’s why a PSA test isn’t the only test used to confirm a prostate cancer diagnosis.
A high PSA result may lead your doctor to recommend a biopsy. While biopsies are important when necessary, they carry risks, including pain, infections, and bleeding.
In some cases, you may have prostate cancer that doesn’t progress. It may cause no noticeable symptoms and have no impact on your life expectancy. But if you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may be anxious and feel pressured to pursue treatment. Cancer treatment also comes with risks that should be carefully weighed against the benefits.
Getting diagnosed with prostate cancer that doesn’t require treatment is known as an overdiagnosis. You can avoid this by getting screened when your doctor recommends it, rather than ordering extra tests to do at home.
Once you reach age 70, your doctor may say prostate cancer screening is no longer necessary. This is because prostate cancer usually grows slowly. Even if you have it, it may not be worth going through cancer treatment.
On MyProstateCancerTeam, people share their experiences with prostate cancer, get advice, and find support from others who understand.
What type of prostate cancer screening tests have you had? Let others know in the comments below.
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