PLT 17 June 2025 - Scarborough
Certificates of Attendance
| Workshop |
Certificate of Attendance |
| Bereavement Alliance | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Complex Emotional Needs | |
| Diabetes | |
| Mental Health Problems in Older People |
Presentations
| Workshop |
Presentation |
| Prostate Guidelines | |
| Bereavement Alliance | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Complex Emotional Needs | |
| Diabetes | |
| Mental Health Problems in Older People |
Q&A
Can the 2 ww criteria be updated to reflect all that information with ages?
- We are not planning to change the 2WW criteria at present. We accept fast-track referrals for men with PSA above reference range or abnormal DRE as before.
- It is possible to refer men with PSA > 3ng/ml who are concerned about prostate cancer on a non-2WW basis, we can advise and/or assess as appropriate.
Do we have screening programs for prostate cancer like we have for cervical?
- No, there is no prostate cancer screening program in the UK at present. Trials are underway to determine efficacy and there may be screening programs in future.
- At present the advice is to offer screening tests ( incl. PSA testing) to men above 50 years who ask.
- Health professionals are advised to seek out and recommend screening tests to men at increased risk (family history, black African/Afro-Caribbean heritage, BRCA gene), from age 45 yrs
Why do we perform so badly compared to other England regions?
The reason we diagnose at a later stage is because less men seek, or are offered, PSA testing at a younger age, or wait until symptoms develop before seeking help or advice. Reasons for this are likely multifactorial, but culture & attitudes both amongst public and health professionals will differ across regions. Education and raised public awareness is helping bring men forward, targeting men at risk by primary care will help further.
Will the referral forms be updated for the over 80s?
- There is no imminent change to the referral form planned. There is currently no age cut-off on the form but a life-expectancy of 10 yrs is stipulated, and we do want to see men of all ages with suspected metastatic disease.
- To reiterate, men >80 yrs do not (statistically) tend to have a life expectancy of 10 yrs, in fact most men >76 yrs have a life expectancy < 10 yrs. PSA testing above age 75 yrs is discouraged (unless symptoms suggest metastatic disease).
- PSA levels below 20 ng/ml are not usually associated with metastatic disease, levels this high can be tolerated for elderly men or those with life expectancy <10 yrs.
- Not all patients with PSA above reference range have to be referred: health professionals are encouraged to use clinical judgement, using joint decision-making with the patient, ideally before the PSA test. The published guidance for men >80 yrs is intended to aid this process and understanding.