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22 Jul 2025Have we finally reached a turning point on prostate cancer screening?
When it comes to prostate cancer, early diagnosis is the key to saving men’s lives. And after years of research and campaigning, we’re now approaching a crucial moment on our path towards a screening programme. Here’s why 2025 could be the year things finally change.
It’s the most common cancer in men. But today, prostate cancer is still the only major cancer without a screening programme. And that means there are still far too many men who find out they have the disease when it’s already too late for a cure.
With prostate cancer, getting an early diagnosis can make all the difference. Because when you find it early, it’s much easier to treat.
That’s why it’s about time we had a screening programme for prostate cancer. And today, we’re closer than ever to getting one. Watch our video to learn more.
Why don’t we have a screening programme for prostate cancer already?
In the past, methods for diagnosing prostate cancer were unreliable. Yes, they helped to catch the disease early and save men’s lives. But they also led to some men having unnecessary tests and treatments that could be harmful or cause serious side effects.
That’s the reason we’ve never had a screening programme for prostate cancer. There hasn’t been enough evidence to show that the benefits of screening would outweigh these potential harms.
But things have changed – and today, this is no longer the case.
We’ve driven major research breakthroughs that have transformed the way we diagnose the disease. And thanks to groundbreaking improvements like MRI scanning and new biopsy techniques, diagnosing prostate cancer is undoubtedly safer and more accurate today than ever before.
How soon could we have prostate cancer screening?
We’ve made our case to the UK National Screening Committee that recent improvements in diagnosing prostate cancer have finally tipped the balance in favour of screening for men at highest risk of the disease.
And later this year, the committee will review the latest evidence to decide if it’s now time for a screening programme.
So what might this mean for men? The committee's decision could go one of three ways:
- Screening for all men
A screening programme inviting all men for routine tests would be brilliant news and the culmination of decades of research and campaigning, setting us on course to a world where no man dies of prostate cancer.
- Screening for men at highest risk
A targeted screening programme for men at highest risk of the disease – including Black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer – would be a major step in the right direction, saving lives and addressing shocking inequalities in our health system.
- No screening
If the committee decides there’s still not enough evidence for screening, we’ll be deeply disappointed. But we won’t stop there – we’ll push forward with our £42 million TRANSFORM trial to gather the vital evidence we need to finally make screening a reality.
Prostate cancer screening would give men the best chance of an early diagnosis
Today, we know too many men are being diagnosed when their cancer has already spread and become harder to treat.
That was the case for Rupert. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 56, despite having no symptoms.
After having surgery to remove his prostate, Rupert recovered. But his PSA levels continued to rise and further scans revealed his cancer had spread to his spine.
Today Rupert knows his prostate cancer is incurable, and his ongoing treatment is about giving himself as much time as possible.
Prostate cancer brought everything into sharp focus. When you know your time is limited, it gives you real perspective on what's important. I’m noticing and appreciating things more and spending more time with those I love.
For men like Rupert, a screening programme could be a lifesaver – making sure they’re invited for routine tests and giving them the best chance of an early diagnosis.
How did we get here? The key moments on our path to prostate cancer screening
Together with thousands of researchers, campaigners and supporters, we’ve been the driving force behind major improvements in the way we diagnose prostate cancer over the last 20 years – critical developments that have made testing safer and more accurate for men.
Here are the key moments that have pushed us ever closer to prostate cancer screening.
- Ruling out unnecessary biopsies (2017)
Findings from two research projects we funded in 2009 and 2010 lead to a large clinical trial called PROMIS, which shows that having an MRI scan first could safely rule out many men from having biopsies they don’t need – a major innovation in testing.
- Making sure every man knows his risk (2021)
Pandemic restrictions trigger a drop in routine GP visits, so we launch our online Risk Checker and a nationwide awareness campaign to make sure men know their risk and what to do next.
- Putting forward the case for screening (2022)
After reviewing the latest evidence, we conclude that screening would benefit men at highest risk of prostate cancer and make our case to the UK National Screening Committee.
- Launching our TRANSFORM trial (2023)
We unveil the biggest prostate cancer screening trial for 20 years, aiming to find the best way to screen men for the disease and deliver the vital remaining evidence for a screening programme.
- Proving safer and more accurate diagnosis (2024)
Our analysis shows the potential harms of testing have been reduced by a massive 79 per cent, thanks to innovations like MRI scanning and new biopsy techniques – proving how much safer diagnosing prostate cancer has become.
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Today, we’re closer to a screening programme than ever before. And this year could be the crucial turning point.
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