Prostate cancer screening in Lithuania: who qualifies and how to get the PSA test

Who the programme covers and what it costs

The prostate cancer early detection programme — Prostatos (priešinės liaukos) vėžio ankstyvosios diagnostikos prevencinė programa — is intended for men aged 50 to 69 inclusive who have compulsory health insurance and are registered with a family doctor. The test is ordered by your family doctor (šeimos gydytojas) and is free of charge under the preventive programme funded by the National Health Insurance Fund (Valstybinė ligonių kasa, VLK). Men who had a PSA test or a prostate MRI in the last 6 months, a prostate biopsy in the last 2 years, or who have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer are not invited. Since 1 September 2026 the programme no longer includes the earlier extra group of men from the age of 45 whose father or brother had prostate cancer; if prostate cancer runs in your family, discuss with your family doctor when to start testing.

What the programme includes

• An invitation and reminders to take part, sent through the e-health system (e. sveikata) and by email
• PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test — prostatos specifinio antigeno kraujo tyrimas; if your PSA is below 3 ng/ml, the answer is sent within 10 working days
• A referral (siuntimas) to a urologist (urologas), if your PSA is above 3 ng/ml
• A consultation with the urologist and, if needed, a prostate biopsy (prostatos biopsija)

How to get the test

• Respond to the invitation and book the PSA test at your family doctor's clinic, or contact your own family doctor (šeimos gydytojas) yourself and ask for the PSA test under the prevention programme.
• If you do not fall into the stated age group but have symptoms, or prostate cancer runs in your family, contact your family doctor (šeimos gydytojas), who will assess the situation and, if needed, issue a referral to a specialist.

What the PSA test actually measures

The PSA test is used for the early detection of prostate cancer and to identify other, non-malignant prostate conditions. What is measured in the blood is a protein produced by the prostate gland; its level can rise because of cancer, inflammation or enlargement of the prostate, so a PSA value on its own does not say what the cause is. There is no strict limit for what counts as "normal" — it is generally taken that the higher the PSA, the greater the likelihood that there are changes in the prostate that should be looked at more closely. Under the programme, the level that leads to a referral to a urologist is above 3 ng/ml.

What a raised PSA result means

A raised PSA value does not by itself confirm a diagnosis; it can mean only that you should talk to your doctor about the result and think about what to do next. The test cannot show whether a possible tumour is aggressive or slow-growing, or whether it would pose any danger to health during a person's lifetime — that is established by further tests with a urologist and by a biopsy. This is why you should always talk to your doctor about a PSA result, rather than interpreting the number on your own: the doctor takes into account age, family history and other factors. Since 1 September 2026 the programme relies more on your previous result: the lower your PSA, the less often the test needs to be repeated.

What happens if your PSA is above 3 ng/ml

The family doctor (šeimos gydytojas) issues a referral (siuntimas) for a consultation with a urologist (urologas), who assesses your individual risk of prostate cancer. A multiparametric prostate MRI (magnetinio rezonanso tomografija, MRT) may be done, and a biopsy (prostatos biopsija) may be taken from areas seen on the MRI. The biopsy tissue is examined under a microscope, and only this examination can confirm or rule out cancer.

When to contact a doctor

• Painful or frequent urination, or difficulty starting to urinate — see your doctor without waiting for your regular check-up.
• Blood in your urine or semen.
• Persistent pelvic or lower back pain with no clear cause.
• Urinary incontinence or a sudden change in urination.
• Where to go: contact your own family doctor (šeimos gydytojas) about these symptoms. In a medical emergency, call 112 — the emergency number in Lithuania.

Lithuanian terms you will see on forms