Government backs our TRANSFORM trial with a further £18m to fast-track the search for crucial screening evidence

Recognising the crucial role our groundbreaking TRANSFORM trial is playing in shaping the future of prostate cancer screening, the Government has announced an additional investment of up to £18m to ensure all eligible Black men will be invited to take part – significantly increasing participation among men at higher risk.

Thousands of eligible Black men are already receiving invitations as part of stage 1 of TRANSFORM, but this extra investment will drastically increase the number sent out as part of the trial’s second stage, starting in the next few years.

The Government, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), previously backed TRANSFORM with £16m of co-funding.

The extra investment elevates this once-in-a-generation study to a £60 million trial, making it the largest prostate cancer screening trial for two decades and the most diverse and representative of the UK population ever undertaken.

It’s a historic moment for men’s health that moves us another huge step closer to a national screening programme for all men at risk of prostate cancer.

Finding the missing evidence to secure screening

The funding boost for TRANSFORM comes shortly after the UK National Screening Committee released its final recommendations for who should be screened for prostate cancer.

After reviewing the latest evidence, the committee recommended that only a small number of men should be invited for regular tests: those who have both a rare genetic variation that puts them at greater risk (in a gene called BRCA2) and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.

Although a small step in the right direction, this was a disappointing decision and a blow to thousands of men across the UK.

In its announcement, the committee said there wasn’t enough evidence to show screening other men would do more good than harm – even for those known to be at highest risk, like Black men.

Our TRANSFORM trial is the critical research that will finally get us to a screening programme for all men, closing these gaps in the evidence and building the strongest possible case for screening.

This extra funding will help us get there even faster, unlocking a major expansion of the trial’s crucial second stage and speeding up our efforts to secure this critical missing evidence.

Dr Matthew Hobbs, our Director of Research, said: "Designing and funding TRANSFORM was the biggest and most complex thing we have ever done at Prostate Cancer UK.

"We know how crucial it is to drive forward the evidence and deliver a screening programme that finds as many aggressive cancers as possible, and saves as many men’s lives as possible. That’s why we invested the time, expertise and funding required to make it happen.

"We’re delighted that the Government has recognised the importance of TRANSFORM to achieving screening and fixing the shocking lack of evidence about how best to screen Black men."

Dramatic expansion of TRANSFORM

TRANSFORM began recruiting men earlier this year and in the first two years will test the most promising and cutting-edge screening techniques including combinations of PSA blood tests, fast MRI scans and genetic spit tests to find the safest and most effective way to detect prostate cancer before it becomes incurable.

The trial is already designed to address health inequalities, with a particular focus on Black men, as well as men from more deprived areas, men from rural and coastal communities, and men with learning disabilities.

Invitations to thousands of men are already being sent as part of the trial’s first stage. Results from this stage should be available before the end of 2027 and will allow researchers to decide exactly which combination of tests will be taken forward into stage 2.

This extra investment will drastically increase the number of Black men who are invited as part of that second stage of TRANSFORM – giving all Black men aged 45-74 who have not had a recent PSA blood test the opportunity to take part in the landmark trial.

This is a huge and potentially life-saving step forward for Black men, who face twice the risk of getting prostate cancer and dying from it compared to other men.

It also builds on our multi-million-pound Black Health Equity strategy, which includes analysis of real-world evidence to build a stronger case about the need for screening Black men.

Tackling inequalities faced by Black men

Laura Kerby, our Chief Executive, commented: "After so much disappointment, this announcement is a truly historic moment, bringing us a step closer to a world where no man dies from prostate cancer.

"Black men are twice as likely to get the disease, and twice as likely to die from it. That’s why we're delighted that the Government has more than doubled its support for TRANSFORM, allowing us to reach tens of thousands more Black men and generate the vital evidence we need to ensure those at highest risk are diagnosed earlier, when treatment is most effective.

"It also strengthens our Black Health Equity Strategy, helping us reach more Black men with clear, trusted information and make it easier to take part in research like this that will revolutionise how we diagnose and treat the disease.

"This progress has only been possible because of the commitment, trust and leadership of Black communities across the country, and together, we are now driving change that will save lives for generations to come."

Wider implications for screening for all men

While this substantial investment will directly help Black men, increasing the scale of TRANSFORM will also have wider benefits for all men at risk of prostate cancer.

Professor Hashim Ahmed, Chief Investigator of the TRANSFORM trial, explained: "The Government’s additional investment in TRANSFORM, on top of the £16m already committed by them and the £26m from Prostate Cancer UK, will directly benefit Black men but will also give all men at risk of prostate cancer a better chance of early diagnosis in future.

"By increasing the number of Black men recruited, we will increase the overall size and scale of TRANSFORM, involving more men from across the country. This not only helps plug critical evidence gaps for Black men, but it also substantially increases the likelihood that TRANSFORM will deliver safe effective screening for all men at risk of prostate cancer as soon as possible.

"It is a truly game changing investment in the future of men’s health and a clear indication in the Government’s support for and belief in our trial to achieve its aims."

Find out more about the TRANSFORM trial and keep up to date with our work to secure a screening programme for all men.

Discover TRANSFORM