The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is set to announce its recommendations on Friday regarding expanded prostate cancer screening for men.
Currently, the UK does not have a national, population-wide screening programme for prostate cancer, despite repeated calls from charities and public figures to increase testing, particularly for high-risk groups.
The committee has expressed caution over using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test as a primary screening tool. Evidence shows the PSA test can miss cancers that might benefit from early treatment, while elevated PSA levels can occur without cancer. Additionally, it can detect slow-growing cancers that would never pose a threat, potentially leading to unnecessary treatments and side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Under current guidelines, general practitioners can offer PSA testing to men showing symptoms of prostate cancer. Men aged 50 and over may also request the test even without symptoms.
The UK NSC, led by Professor Sir Mike Richards, former NHS national cancer director, has been evaluating scenarios for wider screening. These include increased PSA testing for men with a family history of the disease, men of Black ethnicity who face double the risk, and carriers of the BRCA2 gene mutation, which is linked to earlier onset and higher risk. Broader screening for men aged 45 to 70, divided into low- and high-risk groups, is also under consideration.
Prostate cancer predominantly affects men over 65, with risk rising with age. Men whose father or brother has had the disease face a two- to four-fold higher risk.
Supporting the potential expansion, the £42 million Transform trial—funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the government—is examining whether combining MRI or other imaging with PSA testing could reduce deaths while minimizing overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The committee has collaborated on the trial design to ensure it provides evidence that could guide future population screening recommendations.
The debate over testing has gained public attention this week after former Prime Minister David Cameron revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis. Lord Cameron, 59, told The Times he sought testing after hearing entrepreneur and prostate cancer patient Nick Jones advocate for more men to be screened during a BBC radio interview.
The UK NSC will release its formal recommendations at 3 p.m. on Friday, with public consultation to follow.
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