EpiSwitch PSE Prostate Advanced Blood Test

PSE stands for Prostate Screening EpiSwitch. It is a blood test that reads five epigenetic markers, changes in how DNA is folded inside your immune cells, that differ between men with and without prostate cancer. Those five markers are combined with your PSA level to classify you as low likelihood or high likelihood of having prostate cancer. It was developed in Oxford and is designed to be used after, or alongside, a PSA test to give a much clearer answer than PSA can on its own.

Yes. Goodbody Clinic offers the EpiSwitch PSE test privately at 250+ clinics across the UK and by nurse home visit, with no GP referral needed. It is not currently offered by the NHS, so private testing is the route. Book online, and if you do not have a PSA result from the last six months, add a PSA test at checkout so both can be done together.

In the published validation study the EpiSwitch PSE, used with PSA, correctly classified 94 percent of men, compared with around 55 percent for PSA alone. A low likelihood result is consistent with the absence of cancer in more than nine out of ten men, and a high likelihood result is consistent with cancer being confirmed in more than nine out of ten men. No test is perfect: a small number of men will be misclassified in each direction, which is why the result is used to guide the next step rather than to replace it.

Any man being screened for, or worried about, prostate cancer. It is most useful if you have been told your PSA is raised or rising and want to know whether a biopsy or MRI is really needed; if you have urinary symptoms or a family history and want a clearer answer than PSA gives; or if you want reassurance before starting on a biopsy or treatment pathway. It is not suitable for men who have already been treated for prostate cancer, as treatment changes the markers.

A low likelihood result means the pattern in your blood matches men without prostate cancer; with a stable PSA, your treating clinician may reasonably avoid or defer a biopsy and set a date to re-check. A high likelihood result means the pattern matches men with prostate cancer and you should be referred promptly for further investigation, usually a prostate MRI followed by a targeted biopsy if needed. Your report gives the result and the relevant next-step guidance. A Goodbody GP can signpost you to your own GP or urologist, but does not advise on whether you have prostate cancer: this is not a diagnostic test, and those decisions sit with the clinician treating you.

Because the PSE algorithm combines the five epigenetic markers with your PSA value; without it the test cannot be reported. The PSA must be from the last six months. If you do not have one, add our PSA test at checkout and both samples are taken at the same appointment. If your PSA was done by your GP, bring the value and date with you.

Both are designed to improve on PSA and reduce unnecessary biopsies. Stockholm3 (£595) is a screening test that measures PSA itself alongside other proteins and genetic risk, giving a risk score and a re-test interval; it does not need a prior PSA. The PSE (from £729) is a reflex test that reads epigenetic changes in immune cells and needs a recent PSA; it gives a low or high likelihood answer with 94 percent accuracy and is particularly useful once a PSA is already raised. If you are starting from scratch, Stockholm3 is a natural first step; if you already have a worrying PSA, PSE gives the sharper answer.

From £729 when you arrange your own blood collection, £749 at one of 250+ Goodbody clinics, or £789 with a nurse visiting your home. If you need a PSA test as well, it can be added at checkout. The price includes laboratory analysis and a personalised report with next-step guidance.

A venous blood sample from the arm, taken at a clinic, by a nurse at home, or by a professional you arrange. We send you the test kit to bring to the appointment. No fasting is needed. If a PSA is being taken at the same time, avoid vigorous exercise, cycling and ejaculation for 48 hours beforehand, as these can raise PSA.

Results are emailed within 5 working days of the laboratory receiving your sample. Your report states low or high likelihood and gives the relevant next-step guidance to take to your GP or urologist.

At any of 250+ Goodbody clinics across the UK, or at home with a nurse. Choose your route and location when you book; no GP referral is needed. Find your nearest clinic.

No blood test diagnoses prostate cancer; only a biopsy does. The PSE tells you how likely it is that a biopsy would find cancer, which is exactly the decision most men with a raised PSA are facing. A high likelihood result means that investigation is worth pursuing without delay; a low likelihood result means it can often be safely avoided or deferred, with monitoring.