First men tested in our landmark £42m TRANSFORM trial to secure screening for all men

The first men have now been tested as part of our landmark £42 million TRANSFORM prostate cancer screening trial.

Some of the men attended the InHealth Community Diagnostic Centre in Ealing for a combination of PSA blood tests and fast MRI scans, while another group of men carried out genetic spit tests at home, to find the safest and most effective way to detect prostate cancer before it becomes incurable.

The centre in west London is just the first to open, with more centres opening soon.

In this first stage, TRANSFORM will test new techniques against the current NHS diagnostic pathway, before the most effective method, or methods, are tested in a much larger group of up to 300,000 men. Men will be invited directly, so the trial mirrors how a future screening programme would work.

Jaroslaw Galik, 55, was one of the first men to take part in TRANSFORM. He said: "I’d heard a bit about prostate cancer over the years and had always thought I should probably speak to my GP, but I never actually got round to doing anything about it. There isn’t that routine screening programme, so it just wasn’t something that felt urgent.

"When the letter about TRANSFORM came through, I realised this was a straightforward way to check my own risk while also contributing to something bigger. If taking part helps move us closer to having a proper screening programme in the future, so men are just invited by their GP like they are for other cancers that would make such a difference.

"To think that just by taking a couple of tests I could be helping to finally get to screening and save thousands of lives is incredible."

Chris Barwick, from London, was another of the first men to take part in the trial. He said: "I decided to take part in Transform after hearing it discussed on the Today programme. It sounded like a worthwhile initiative, so when I received an invitation, I was delighted to accept and be involved.

"My experience of TRANSFORM has been extremely positive. The initial email contained all the information I needed, and I was contacted beforehand to remind me of my appointment, go through the pre-MRI questions, and answer any queries I had. The communication was clear, thorough, and reassuring throughout.

"On a personal level, the trial offered a straightforward and convenient way to be screened. It gave me peace of mind to know I would receive my results promptly and that there would be ongoing periodic testing. The knowledge that my results and profile might, even in a small way, contribute to improvements in testing and screening more widely is a significant added benefit."

TRANSFORM begins as the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) consults on its recent decision not to recommend screening for most men at risk, based on current evidence.  

As well as improving the way we currently test, TRANSFORM will provide crucial new evidence which could help shift the balance in favour of screening in just two years - bringing an end to the ‘postcode lottery’ of late diagnosis and potentially saving thousands of lives each year. 

Latest data shows prostate cancer is now the most common cancer overall in the UK, with more than 63,000 men diagnosed and more than 12,000 dying each year as cases continue to rise across the UK.  

But health inequalities, including a stark North-South divide, have created a postcode lottery that leaves some men diagnosed too late, and others harmed by the side effects of treating cancers that would never have caused them any harm – highlighting the need for comprehensive screening to tackle this issue and save thousands of lives each year.

Prostate cancer is curable if found early, but without a screening programme, early diagnosis relies on men understanding their risk and speaking to their GP about a PSA blood test – usually without any symptoms.  

Because of this, rates of early diagnosis vary widely across the UK, with men in more deprived areas 29% more likely to be diagnosed late compared to more affluent areas. Meanwhile, in Scotland nearly a third of men with prostate cancer (31%) are diagnosed with incurable stage 4 cancer, compared to 21% in England.

Inequalities are even more pronounced for Black men, who are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it.  

Yet the UK NSC declared that because too few Black men have been recruited to previous trials, there is not enough evidence to recommend screening as it's not possible to be sure that screening would do more good than harm for these men. 

To address this, the target is that one in ten men invited to take part in TRANSFORM will be Black, with the trial team working closely with Black community leaders and organisations to ensure meaningful participation.  

Laura Kerby, Chief Executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "Men across the country are crying out for a screening programme, and we’re committed to building a future where every man gets that chance. That is why we have driven the development of TRANSFORM and funded the £42m programme, alongside the NIHR.  

"We know that a safe and effective mass screening programme could save thousands of men’s lives, and it starts with these men walking through the door today and trialling these tests. 

"They’re helping to build a future where prostate cancer is found early, consistently and fairly, and where no man’s diagnosis is left to chance." 

Professor Hashim Ahmed, Chief Investigator of the TRANSFORM trial, said: "The men tested today mark the start of the biggest prostate cancer screening trial in over two decades. The size and quality of TRANSFORM mean the data we’re collecting now will help us make prostate cancer diagnosis far safer and more effective for all men at risk, and will inform lifesaving research for decades to come. 

"By testing cutting edge techniques, including blood tests, genetics, and MRI scans, we can find the best way to screen men for the disease and save thousands of lives each year." 

"Black men are twice as likely to develop and die from prostate cancer - research like this is pivotal in tackling this unacceptable disparity.

"Every man deserves the same chance of an early diagnosis, regardless of where he lives or his background, and this trial will ensure screening is built on the strongest possible evidence."   

This research will transform how prostate cancer is diagnosed.  

Thank you.