Can anyone man ask to get tested for prostrate cancer in Scotland?

[JacknDiane]

He has no symptoms. But is early 60s and never been checked. I understand screening for prostrate cancer hadn't been recommended by the NHS. Yet constant stories online of men who got checked just incase...and found they had it and were successfully treated as it was caught early.
So my question is, in Scotland can a man ask for a check even if he has no symptoms and no family history?

They can ask but they need to be fully counselled on the risks of testing and benefits.
There's a good article on screening on the cancer research website
For every 1000 people tested only 1 life saved but more people would come to harm through unnecessary treatment for slow growing cancers that they would die with rather than of.

So read up about it before asking and make sure you have the test knowing what the result will mean.

We need more research into detecting appropriate cancers early

Certainly if there's a family history I would test.

My husband was done as part of a routine over 60s health MoT at our local surgery. It is optional and they stress that counselling is available.

England though, and they contacted him to offer. Not the other way round.

Could you enquire at your local surgery whether they offer something similar?

We are in Scotland and my husband contacted his GP before Christmas and asked for the PSA blood test, my husband is mid 50s, no symptoms and GP agreed without any issues.

DH has it, PSA is in normal ranges, he had other symptoms, diagnosed via biopsy, no treatment yet. Sorry to be pedantic, but the word is prostate, not prostRate

Yes, DH did. 60, no symptoms, in Scotland

Prostate. PROSTATE. Not prostrate …

Can’t it just be done as part of routine blood tests?

my pal, 59, just asked his gp no symptoms.
blood tests done. all good.

Sorry for wrong spelling.

And sorry your dh has it @Seymour5, wishing him a speedy recovery.

Thank you @JacknDiane. He’s a lot older, it’s age related. Very slow growing.

You are citing old data. This is the current one:

At a median of 23 years of follow-up, one death from prostate cancer was prevented for every 456 men (95% CI, 306 to 943) who were invited for screening, and one death from prostate cancer was averted for every 12 men (95% CI, 8 to 26) in whom prostate cancer was diagnosed, as compared with one death from prostate cancer prevented for every 628 men (95% CI, 419 to 1481) and one death averted for every 18 men (95% CI, 12 to 45) at 16 years of follow-up.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2503223