Help Us Fight Prostate Cancer

The ‘Man Van’ Frequently Asked Questions

Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed in England, with 55,033 prostate cancer diagnoses in 2023 (compared with 47,526 breast cancer diagnoses). The increase in diagnoses and awareness can be partly attributed to awareness raising campaigns.  Because early prostate cancer doesn’t usually have any symptoms, every man needs to be aware of his risk of getting the disease and get tested. Men aged 50+ (or 45 if black), or with a family history are most at risk. The earlier you find prostate cancer, the easier it is to treat.

Despite it being the country’s most common type of cancer, there is no routine screening programme for prostate cancer, unlike for breast, bowel and cervical cancer. The UK National Screening Committee is reviewing the evidence for prostate cancer screening programmes, including targeted approaches for men at higher risk. A consultation opens in March 2025.

The first step to getting a diagnosis is having a simple PSA Blood Test, without any intrusive ‘finger up the bum’. PSA blood tests look for high levels of a protein which indicates prostate cancer.  We know it can feel daunting but having a blood test could save your life. And this is where our mobile PSA testing clinic comes in.

In September 2024, we were delighted to hand over the keys of a specially adapted vehicle to the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey.  The Mobile PSA Blood Testing Clinic, or ‘Man Van’ was bought as the culmination of a local fundraising effort at a cost in the region of £125,000.

We are continuing to raise funds to support the running, upkeep and operation of the vehicle throughout 2025, and with the support of our strategic partners, PSA Blood Testing will be taking place in and around our Surrey, and West Sussex catchment area, as covered by Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust in Guildford.

In early 2025, we plan for the vehicle will be present at a number of high profile events, raising awareness of the need for men over the age of 50  to take a simple PSA Blood Test, the quickest method to help detect the possibility of prostate cancer.

Caught early, prostate cancer is usually curable.

Men have a right to be tested for prostate cancer on a regular basis via their GP if they are aged 50 or over. There is currently no national screening programme, and we are aware that some doctors do not support prostate cancer testing with this test, especially if men present with no obvious symptoms. We hope the ManVan will make the PSA test accessible to all men, offering flexibility and speed.

The Man Van will be visiting workplaces, associations, festivals, sporting clubs and events throughout the year. We are still very much in the ‘proof of process’ stage of development but here are the answers to some of the questions that we have received.

  • What is the Man Van? – The adapted vehicle has two primary functions, the first is to act as a mobile testing unit, effectively taking the test to the man, with blood tests undertaken by qualified phlebotomists. The vehicle is secure, and completely private, with all data and samples protected, and designed to operate for charity testing.

    The second purpose is to raise awareness, the very presence of the van alerts people to our ‘Get Tested’ message, and there is plenty of information on hand to answer just about any question related to prostate cancer.

  • Who Does the Testing, and What Happens with the Results? – All tests are undertaken by healthcare professionals, and test results are usually communicated within 24-48 hours.

  • Is this an NHS Service? – While the Man Van is considered as an extension of The Stokes Centre for Urology at Royal Surrey Hospital, it will be supported by other health partners, both professional and charitable. The Prostate Project raised nearly £3 million to help build the centre, which is seen as one of the finest facilities of its type in the UK. The vehicle itself can operate both as an NHS service, and as a charity service.

  • How Many Tests Can be Done Each Day? – We anticipate the van can perform up to 50 PSA tests in a day. Where more tests are required, additional testing takes place at the workplace, clubhouse, or host facility where suitable rooms need to be provided.

  • How Much Does the Man Vast Cost to Run? – At this early stage, we estimate the operational costs to be in the region of £115,000 per year. We are looking for support from corporate partners, and together, we hope to reduce the cost burden.

  • Do We Have to Pay to Get the Man Van to Visit our Venue? – We have been asked to attend a growing number of events, workplaces, societies and social organisations, and while for some events a visit from the Man Van will be free of charge, we do have to ask for a contribution towards costs of processing the bloods, contacting you with the results and administrative costs.

    One of our commitments is to visit areas and communities that are either not served by a local facility, or contain a high % of ‘at risk’ men, typically black men who are twice as likely to suffer from prostate cancer, and those in lower socioeconomic communities who are less aware of the risks and tend to be diagnosed later, often too late.

  • When and Where can we Visit the Man Van? – A calendar of events can be found here on our website. This diary is being constantly updated as more requests arrive. From across our catchment area of Surrey, Mole Valley, Frimley, Ashford, and Chichester but we can attend larger events close to our region should the need arise.

  • What is a PSA Blood Test? – This simple blood test checks levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Elevated levels could signal prostate cancer, or non-cancerous conditions like an enlarged prostate, or infection. If the PSA level is elevated, men will be invited for further diagnostic testing at hospital.

  • What Type of Places will you be Visiting? – At this stage we are responding to requests from golf clubs, Masonic groups, workplaces including construction sites and offices, sporting events and car shows, industrial and retail estates, business parks and football clubs.

    We can visit any venue in our catchment area where there is sufficient space and demand, and we respond to every request that we receive.

The best thing to do is get in touch with us via the  form below with details of your organisation name, contact details, location and if possible, the size of your company or club etc.

The Prostate Project would like to thank our partners for their invaluable help in operating the Man Van and to everyone who made a donation to make the van a reality. This initiative will prolong, and save the lives of a significant number of men each year.

The PSA test is not perfect: it will not help find all prostate cancers, it will miss some and will detect some that would never go on to cause harm. But it is the important first step towards a diagnosis, with an abnormal result leading to further modern diagnostic techniques including AI-assisted MRI scans.  Read here on our website for more information about the PSA test:  https://prostate-project.org.uk/psa-testing

Get Tested!

Watch our animation explaining why it’s so important to catch Prostate Cancer early