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Foundation / Men’s health / Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer awareness

Know your risk.
Make time for
your health.

We check the quality of our work every day. Our health deserves attention too. ACQP is helping construction professionals start the conversation, find reliable information and take an informed next step.

Check your risk with Prostate Cancer UK Donate to the ACQP Foundation
A construction professional talking about his health with a healthcare professional
A conversation worth having.With your GP. With your family. With each other.
The message to remember

Early prostate cancer often has no symptoms.

Feeling well does not rule it out. There is no reliable physical self-check for prostate cancer. Understanding your risk and talking to your GP are the starting points.

What is prostate cancer?

The prostate is a small gland below the bladder that helps make semen. Prostate cancer develops when cells in the gland grow without normal control. Some cancers develop slowly; others grow more quickly and can spread, so assessment and care need to be tailored to the individual.

Who is this information for?

Anyone with a prostate, and the people who care about them. This includes men, trans women, some non-binary people and some intersex people. Your healthcare professional can explain how your circumstances affect risk and testing.

Sources: the Prostate Cancer UK booklet below and its signs and symptoms guidance.

Know your personal risk

Three things to talk about.

Age, ethnicity and family history can affect your risk. Having a risk factor does not mean you will develop cancer.

50+

Your age

Risk rises as you get older. From age 50, speak to your GP about your risk and whether PSA testing is right for you.

45+

If you are Black

Black men have a higher risk and can be affected at a younger age. Prostate Cancer UK recommends discussing PSA testing with your GP from age 45.

45+

Your family history

If prostate cancer runs in your family, discuss testing from age 45. Tell your GP about prostate or breast cancer in relatives and any known inherited gene changes.

Symptoms or concerns at any age? Contact your GP; these ages are not a reason to delay.

Use the 30-second risk checker

Read more: Prostate Cancer UK: risk factors and who can have a PSA test.

Page 5 of the Prostate Cancer UK guide, explaining the prostate gland and showing its position below the bladder around the urethra.
The prostate, explained by Prostate Cancer UK. © Prostate Cancer UK. Read page 5 of the booklet.
How to keep check

Make a plan with your GP.

Keeping check means knowing your risk, noticing changes and following up on advice. It does not mean waiting until you feel unwell.

01 · KNOW

Understand your risk

Use the risk checker and ask about your family’s health history. Take that information to your GP.

02 · TALK

Discuss testing

Ask about the benefits and limitations of a PSA blood test before deciding whether to have one.

03 · FOLLOW UP

Get your results explained

Check when results should arrive, who will explain them and what happens next. Contact the surgery if you have not heard back.

04 · REVIEW

Agree any repeat checks

Ask whether and when you should be tested again. The timing depends on your risk and results; there is no single interval suitable for everyone.

A simple way to start:

“I would like to talk about my prostate cancer risk. Would a PSA blood test be appropriate for me, and what would the result tell us?”

Guidance: Prostate Cancer UK: PSA testing and repeat tests · NHS: PSA testing and results.

Notice a change? Get advice.

Symptoms worth discussing.

Urinary changes often have a non-cancerous cause, such as an enlarged prostate. A GP can help find out what is happening.

Changes when you wee

  • Needing to go more often, particularly at night.
  • Difficulty starting, a weaker flow or difficulty emptying your bladder.
  • Sudden urgency, leaking or dribbling.

Other changes to mention

  • Blood in your semen.
  • New difficulty getting or maintaining an erection.
  • Unexplained weight loss or persistent back, hip or pelvic pain.

Blood in your urine needs prompt attention

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111, even if it is a small amount or you are unsure it is blood. Read the NHS advice.

Do not wait for the March campaign or rely on a home-test result if you have symptoms. Source: Prostate Cancer UK: signs and symptoms.

Understand the test

A PSA test is a starting point.

A PSA blood test measures prostate-specific antigen. It may help identify a problem before symptoms appear, but it cannot diagnose cancer on its own.

PSA can rise for reasons other than cancer, including an enlarged prostate or inflammation. A low result cannot completely exclude cancer. Testing can also lead to investigations or treatment that may not have been needed.

Discuss these trade-offs with your GP. If further assessment is needed, this may involve another blood test, an MRI scan and sometimes a biopsy.

Before and after a test

Follow the clinician’s preparation advice and tell them about medicines, recent infections and procedures that might affect the result. Ask when to expect results and what follow-up is needed.

NHS: the PSA test · Prostate Cancer UK: benefits and limitations.

What the ACQP is doing

Putting members’ health on the agenda.

Construction professionals spend their working lives looking out for others. The ACQP Foundation wants our community to feel able to look after themselves as well.

01

Making information accessible

We bring together trusted guidance, the risk checker and a downloadable guide so members and families can find an informed next step.

Read the guide
02

Free prostate tests each March

Our annual awareness initiative offers free prostate tests. Ask the team about the kit, eligibility, availability and arrangements for the next March campaign.

About the March initiative
03

Opening the conversation

We encourage members and employers to share reliable information, make time for health appointments and support colleagues who need someone to listen.

Talk to the Foundation

You can enquire throughout the year. No donation is required to enquire about a free test. The Foundation provides campaign information and support; medical advice and interpretation of results belong with your healthcare professional.

Cover of Prostate Cancer UK’s booklet: Prostate cancer — A guide if you’ve just been diagnosed
Information for you and your family

Just been diagnosed?
You do not have to face it alone.

Prostate Cancer UK’s Prostate cancer: A guide if you’ve just been diagnosed explains tests, results, treatment options and ways to find support. It also includes space to record results, appointments and questions for your care team.

This is a guide for people with a diagnosis and those close to them. For questions about your risk or whether to test, start with the risk checker and a conversation with your GP.

Download the guide (PDF, 2.7 MB)Read the PDF online

Published by Prostate Cancer UK, August 2026. The original booklet and its branding are unchanged. Cover © Prostate Cancer UK.

Someone to talk to

Find the right support.

Trusted information. An informed next step.

This is general awareness information, not an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. Speak to your GP about your circumstances. This is an independent ACQP initiative; links and credited resources do not imply endorsement by Prostate Cancer UK or the NHS.

Information checked against the linked sources on .

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