Wiltshire men urged to learn more about prostate tests
Concern over internal examinations are said to be preventing a third of men speaking to GPs about prostate concerns.
Last updated 17th Jun 2025
Calls for invasive prostate cancer tests to be scrapped are being made by a charity, with experts saying they aren't as effective as newer methods.
Dr Hayley Luxton, from Wiltshire, says men don't need to worry about rectal exams now that a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test is available.
Research by Prostate Cancer UK found more than half of men surveyed were concerns about the rectal exam, with more than a third (37%) saying it made them avoid speaking to a GP about prostate worries.
1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer, and it is now England’s most common cancer. It’s also the only common cancer without a screening programme.
Dr Luxton told us the digital rectal exam (DRE) is flawed.
"A lot of prostate cancers don't grow at the back of prostate where it can be touched. A lot of the cancers grow elsewhere in the prostate that can't be detected by the DRE," she said.
She said the PSA blood test is far more effective: "Having a blood test is less invasive and it's more accurate in terms of if PSA is elevated, there's probably a reason for it and so the next step would be an MRI scan."
Higher levels of PSA can be traced as a result of prostate cancer, but it is also raised due to urinary infections, while Dr Luxton said some men find it is increased after riding a bike.
She said: "Just because you have a high level of PSA doesn't mean necessarily you have prostate cancer which means it's really important that you then go on to have an MRI scan because that will that will give you a definitive answer."
The disease doesn't often present symptoms in its early stages, when it is easiest to treat. They're more likely to appear when the cancer has spread.
Dr Luxton is urging men to visit their GP's if they have concerns, reminded GPs and urologists of the availability of the blood test.
We can check our risk of prostate cancer using an online risk checker.