Move Against Prostate Cancer

Guidance for Patients

The Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator has been designed to help you, and the health professionals looking after you. There are eight different calculators, with the first two designed for your individual use without your needing any medical knowledge. But please be aware that the Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator cannot be 100% accurate at predicting the presence or absence of prostate cancer. It is designed to help calculate your risk, not to give a definitive diagnosis.

Risk Calculator 1 provides a more general risk calculation based on age, family history and any urinary symptoms. It will help you decide whether to go for further tests.

If you do know your PSA level, then you can start with Risk Calculator 2. While knowing your PSA level is helpful, the decision to have a PSA test has to be taken seriously after weighing up all factors and discussing the implications with your GP or hospital doctor. It is possible that prostate cancer will not be found even if you have a raised PSA; and cancer may still be present even if your PSA level is low.

What is PSA and why is it important?
When the result of the first two calculators are known, your doctor may want to carry out further tests, including the additional tests needed for using the six more specialised risk calculators. If you have doubts or questions about your health, you should always contact your GP or hospital doctor. This is particularly important if you have questions which arise from the use of one or more of the prostate cancer risk calculators.

The use of the Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator is for guidance only. It cannot be ruled out that the way it is used, or the indications given by it, are interpreted in a way that is not appropriate. The creators of the Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator do not accept any responsibility in any respect.