The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test relates to a man's risk of prostate cancer but unlike other cancers like breast and bowel, there is no routine screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK. This is because it’s not as straightforward as having a blood test and getting a black-and-white answer: it doesn’t tell you if you have prostate cancer or not. Instead, the NHS offers an informed choice programme where men over the age of 50 can ask their GP for a test (or tests every so often), but after discussion about how difficult the result is to interpret. A PSA result can be normal and you can still have prostate cancer, or it can be abnormal but you don’t have prostate cancer. A positive test, however, does usually mean you need further investigations, and these can be uncomfortable and carry risks. Let’s talk you through what makes a good screening test, and how this can be applied to PSA screening.

Everyone aged between 60 and 74 is invited automatically for bowel cancer screening. The local health authority will use your age and contact details in the GP records to send you a home test kit, which you send back to check for abnormalities. You’re then sent this kit every 2 years if you live in England. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. Early detection gives a good chance for treatment to work, and to help prevent the cancer spreading not only through the bowel but also to other parts of the body, which carries a risk of death. The chance of bowel increases as we get older, and the government is rolling out plans to start screening from 50 years old.

Blood tests have many different uses. They can help diagnose a condition, monitor a particular organ in the body such as the kidney or liver, and they can also be used to give measurements of bodily processes such as blood sugar or current levels of inflammation.

Blood tests have many different uses. Some of these include being used to diagnose a condition, to monitor a particular organ in the body such as the kidney or liver, and they can also be used to give measurements of bodily processes such as sugar levels in the blood, or for levels of inflammation such as a CRP or ESR blood test.

Much like how a walking stick helps someone to walk independently, medication aids help individuals take their medications independently and easily. Medication aids can help you to remember when to take medicines and help with dexterity issues that affect your ability to use your inhaler, for example.

Screening for an abdominal aortic aneurysm is extremely important. Doctors refer to this as AAA (pronounced "triple-A") screening. It looks for any weakness in the aorta, the biggest blood vessel in your body. This runs from your heart to the centre of your chest and your abdomen, delivering oxygenated blood to your tissues and organs. Any weakness (aneurysm) can lead to rupture, which causes a life-threatening bleed into your tummy within seconds. Screening is aimed at detecting disease in those most at risk. Men are at higher risk of developing an AAA, and this increases with age, so men aged 65 and over are invited for a test. You’ll receive your invite automatically by post from the local health authority – they'll use your age and the contact details held in your doctor's records. Owing to the risk profile, this screening is not offered routinely to women, men under 65, or if you’ve already received treatment for an AAA.

If you find yourself pregnant and do not wish to keep the baby or have it adopted for any reason, you can seek an abortion to bring the pregnancy to an end, otherwise known as a termination of pregnancy. By law in England, Scotland and Wales, this is usually up to 24 weeks, although later in certain exceptional circumstances. The law is more complicated in Northern Ireland. If you find yourself with a positive pregnancy test and are unsure of your decision, you do not need to rush into things. You can turn to your partner, trusted friends or family. You might wish to discuss with someone outside your circle, so your doctor can be a good source of guidance and can refer you for maternity or abortion services. Alternatively, you can refer yourself to abortion services, and they will have counsellors to talk through your options and the turbulent emotions it can bring up. An abortion carries less risk the earlier it is carried out. Earlier discussions also allow for more time to think about the right option for you. If you want to chat to someone you can book an appointment NOW with one of our doctors, or you can chat with the healthwords.ai chat for free today.