Closing the gap: our response to the recommendations on prostate cancer screening

The UK National Screening Committee's recommendations on prostate cancer screening are a step in the right direction – but hundreds of thousands of men at highest risk are being left behind and only vital new research can close the gaps. 

We're urging the Government to approve the committee's recommendation to introduce screening for men with BRCA gene variations – who are not only at higher risk of getting prostate cancer, but also more likely to get an aggressive form of the disease.  

We're ready to help make the UK's first ever prostate cancer screening programme a reality, setting the standard for more men in the future. It's a lifesaving step that will give tens of thousands of men their best chance of finding prostate cancer early.  

But it's only a tiny fraction of the men we need to save – and screening will still be out of reach for the vast majority. 

We're deeply disappointed that the evidence isn't yet strong enough for a mass screening programme. And that's why we're driving the vital research that's needed to close the gaps in the data and build the evidence that will finally unlock safe, accurate screening for all men. 

Some men face a greater risk of getting prostate cancer than others. 1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer – that's double the risk of other men.  

But the National Screening Committee says gaps and uncertainties in the data are preventing them from recommending screening for Black men.  

This is a missed opportunity. The NHS already holds the electronic health records that could help answer the committee’s questions and strengthen the evidence base. Yet nobody has prioritised or made full use of these records, limiting the data that's needed to justify screening for Black men. 

We’re working to change this, using real-world data to fill critical evidence gaps that will help us fully understand and address health inequities in prostate cancer. 

We’re already funding vital research that will analyse the NHS data that wasn’t explored during the committee’s review and answer the uncertainties that stand in the way of screening for Black men. 

Our researchers will deliver these findings within a year. And as soon as that evidence is ready, we’ll be calling on the committee to reassess their recommendation for Black men – because no men should have to wait for lifesaving progress when the data exists to move things forward.  

At the same time, we’re working to define more clearly how a man’s family history affects his chances of getting prostate cancer – because we know that not all family history carries the same level of risk. Our research will provide clarity and build the evidence base, so these men aren’t left behind.  

Alongside this, our TRANSFORM trial – the biggest prostate cancer screening study for 20 years – is already under way. The first men have been invited to take part in the trial, and we’ll start sharing initial findings in the next two years. TRANSFORM will provide the definitive evidence we need to shape the future of screening.  

Together, this work will close the evidence gaps, reduce uncertainty about different groups’ risk of prostate cancer, and move us closer to the day when every man at highest risk – including Black men and men with a family history – can benefit from safe, targeted screening. 

“Many of us were deeply disappointed by the committee’s decision to recommend screening only for men with BRCA gene variations,” says Amy Rylance, our Director of Health Services, Equity and Improvement. 

“That’s why we’re so focused on closing the critical evidence gaps, so that the men at highest risk – Black men and those with a family history of the disease – aren’t being left behind. 

“Our groundbreaking TRANSFORM trial will then show us the way to safely and accurately screen all men at risk.” 

Without a mass screening programme, every man needs to know his risk – so he can make a choice about whether to have a PSA blood test to check for early warning signs of prostate cancer.    

So while we press ahead with the vital research that will fill the evidence gaps and pave the way to a much larger screening programme, the Government must step up and start saving lives today. 

We urgently need an early detection programme that provides all men with clear, consistent and easy-to-access information about their prostate cancer risk and testing options – so they can make an informed choice about what to do next.  

We’re also calling on ministers to immediately overhaul outdated GP guidelines, so doctors can proactively speak to men about their risk and the pros and cons of the PSA blood test.  

Joe, a competitive athlete from Bromley, was diagnosed with prostate cancer aged 50 – and only because a close friend encouraged him to ask his GP for a PSA blood test. Joe had no symptoms and no idea that Black men were at higher risk. 

Fortunately, his cancer was caught early, and he was able to have surgery before it spread. 

“Thanks to my friend, my cancer was caught just in time, when it was still in the prostate,” says Joe.  

“My doctor told me it was ready to escape. If I’d waited a year down the line, until I got symptoms, things would have been very different.” 

Since his diagnosis, Joe has been raising awareness among his friends, family and colleagues – many of whom have since followed up with their GP to talk about their own risk. But Joe believes relying on word of mouth isn’t enough. 

“Men shouldn’t have to depend on a lucky, lifesaving conversation,” he says. 

“So many men think they’re going to go to the doctor for a ‘gloved finger’, and that puts them off. 

“GPs should be starting these conversations with us – to help us understand our risk and educate us about what the PSA blood test actually involves, so we can make a choice about our next steps.” 

What does the UK NSC’s recommendation mean for you?  

If you have questions about the screening news and you’d like to find out more, we’re here to help. 

Follow the latest developments on prostate cancer screening and find all the information and support you need.