Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology
The most argued-about blood test in preventive medicine, and the argument is not resolvable by picking a side. PSA screening does reduce prostate cancer deaths; the effect is real and has been measured in a very large randomised trial. It also finds a great many cancers that would never have caused harm, and treating those causes incontinence and impotence. Both halves are true, which is why the guideline says decide rather than screen.
Schröder FH, Hugosson J, et al. “Screening and prostate cancer mortality: results of the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) at 13 years of follow-up.” Lancet 2014;384:2027–2035 found a significant relative reduction in prostate cancer mortality, but an absolute benefit small enough that roughly 27 additional men had to be diagnosed to prevent one prostate cancer death. Grossman DC, et al. (US Preventive Services Task Force) JAMA 2018;319:1901–1913 accordingly grade PSA screening C for men aged 55 to 69 — offer it after an individual conversation about that trade-off — and D for men 70 and over.
Schröder FH, et al. Lancet. 2014. PubMed: PMID 25108889 · Grossman DC, et al. JAMA. 2018. PubMed: PMID 29801017
Singapore guidance
Not covered in the current review
Prostate screening is not covered in the current volume of Singapore’s national screening review.
Source: Screening Test Review Committee report 2026, Volume 1 (Academy of Medicine Singapore and Ministry of Health, February 2026). The full national list · How this is used.
What you would actually pay
- Healthier SG
- Not subsidised
- MediSave
- Not among the screenings named for outpatient claims
Source: Healthier SG Screening (HealthHub) and MediSave outpatient care (Ministry of Health). Absence from either list is not a statement that the test is discouraged — only that no subsidy or claim applies. Gross prices compared.
What it costs when it is wrong
- Basis
- No published harm criterion found
- Severity
- Not documented
Not covered in the current volume of the committee’s report, so no harm criterion was found either way.
An empty finding, not a clean bill of health: this means nothing documented was found for this test. It is not a claim that the test is safe.
Screening harm is not only a laboratory question: the committee’s own criteria advise against a test when “the screening test, or follow-up tests arising from a positive screen, are associated with significant medical risks”. Sources on overdiagnosis → · How this is graded.
Singapore pricing. We have a full price breakdown for this test, using checked 2026 figures from named providers — read the price guide →
FAQ
Is the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) worth doing in Singapore?
Judged for screening an asymptomatic adult, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) grades moderate on our rubric. It typically costs S$30–60 in Singapore. The usual schedule: discuss from age 55; if screening, typically every 2–4 years to 69. Most appropriate for men aged 55–69, after an explicit conversation about overdiagnosis. Not recommended at 70 and over.
Weighing this against something else? Compare it with two other tests → · Price it inside a panel →