Men who are thinking of getting tested should talk to their doctor about the benefits and harms of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing. Current evidence shows that the PSA test should not be used for population screening, as the harms outweigh the benefits. A prostate biopsy is the only method by which prostate cancer can be definitively diagnosed.
Please note: As evidence is continually changing, the Government has recently funded the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia to undertake a review, in partnership with Cancer Council Australia, of the 2016 Clinical Practice Guidelines for PSA Testing. These guidelines will provide updated evidence-based recommendations for PSA testing, and the aim of the review is to modernise the way prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment is managed. This Position Statement will be reviewed once the new 2025 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer have been endorsed and finalised, to ensure alignment with the current clinical evidence and guidance.