CANCER MARKER PANEL

Private Cancer Health Screens

Clinician-led private cancer screening at our CQC-registered clinic. Every package includes a private GP pre-test consultation, sample collection, accredited laboratory analysis, and written GP comments on your results.

A £25 prepayment is taken at booking and fully deducted from each package price.

Compare at a glance

PSA Profile — £100 (men)

A focused private blood test measuring total PSA, free PSA, and the free-to-total PSA ratio — used to refine interpretation when PSA is borderline. Suitable for men aged 50 or over (or 45+ with higher risk factors such as family history) after an informed discussion of benefits and limitations.

Important: PSA is not recommended for population screening by the UK National Screening Committee. It can miss prostate cancer, and many raised PSA results are caused by benign conditions. Your GP will explain this fully at the pre-test consultation.

Silver Cancer Health Screen — £275

A biomarker blood panel (CEA, CA-125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9) plus the QFIT stool test — the same first-line test used by the NHS for symptomatic bowel cancer pathways. Suitable for proactive monitoring alongside clinical discussion.

Gold Cancer Health Screen — £325

The Silver biomarker panel plus the ColoAlert® stool test — a DNA-based bowel cancer screen with manufacturer-reported higher sensitivity than QFIT for early-stage colorectal cancer and advanced polyps.

Platinum Cancer Health Screen — £900

The Gold panel plus PSA for men, plus a Comprehensive Hereditary Cancer Panel — a genetic test analysing multiple inherited cancer-predisposition genes. Requires extended pre-test consultation including genetic counselling. Results take 4–6 weeks.

Important: these are screening and predictive tests, not diagnostic tests

• A normal biomarker, QFIT, ColoAlert®, or PSA result is reassuring but does not exclude cancer.

• An abnormal result does not mean you have cancer — biomarkers, stool tests, and PSA can all be raised or positive for non-cancer reasons.

• Any abnormal finding will need further investigation, which may include imaging, colonoscopy, biopsy, or specialist referral, at additional cost.

• A normal Hereditary Cancer Panel does not exclude cancer risk; a positive result identifies an inherited risk factor, not active cancer, and would normally trigger NHS Clinical Genetics referral.

• The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend these tests for general population screening.

Your GP will explain all of this at the pre-test consultation.

What these screens do not replace

This screen does not replace the established UK cancer screening programmes:

• Cervical screening for eligible women aged 25–64

• Breast screening for eligible women aged 50–71

• Bowel cancer screening (NHS QFIT) for eligible adults aged 50/54–74

• NHS Clinical Genetics for significant family history of cancer

Please continue to attend NHS screening invitations.

Symptoms?

If you have any specific symptoms — unexplained weight loss, persistent change in bowel habit, new lumps, unexplained bleeding, persistent cough, or any red-flag symptom — please book a GP consultation rather than a screening test alone. Symptomatic patients need a different clinical pathway, potentially urgent referral that cannot wait for screening results.

How it works

A blood sample is taken at the clinic. Where included, you'll be given a QFIT or ColoAlert® home stool kit, and for Platinum, a saliva or buccal sample for genetic analysis. Samples are processed at accredited UK laboratories and specialist partner labs. A GMC-registered GP reviews every report and provides written comments.

Pre-test consultation and informed consent

The pre-test consultation is particularly important for cancer screening. Your GP will discuss why you're considering screening, the benefits and limitations of each test, the likelihood of needing follow-up investigation, NHS programmes you should also be using, and (for Platinum) family and insurance implications of genetic testing.

Clinical follow-up

From £50 (phone/video) or £80 (in person). Where a result indicates urgent clinical action, we will contact you promptly at no additional charge and arrange appropriate referral.

Before you book

• Symptoms → book a GP consultation, not a screen

• PSA (men): avoid vigorous exercise, cycling, or ejaculation 48 hours before

• CA-125 (women): results affected by menstruation, endometriosis, pregnancy

• Smoking can raise CEA independently of cancer

• Family history: consider NHS Clinical Genetics referral first — it is free at point of care

• Not a substitute for NHS screening or a diagnostic guarantee

About our service

Northwest Health is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our UK laboratory partner is UKAS-accredited to ISO 15189; ColoAlert® and hereditary panel samples are processed at specialist partner laboratories