A government health panel has advised against introducing prostate cancer screening for the majority of men in the UK, saying the harms would outweigh the benefits. The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) instead recommended targeted screening only for men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants, who are at higher risk of aggressive cancer. These men could be screened every two years between ages 45 and 61.
The committee concluded that widespread PSA testing would lead to high levels of overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as 40–50% of detected cancers are slow-growing and unlikely to cause harm. Evidence was also deemed insufficient to justify screening Black men or men with a family history of cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the UK, affecting one in eight men. Despite this, no national screening programme exists due to the unreliability of the PSA test.
Reaction has been mixed: Cancer Research UK and the Royal College of GPs supported the decision, while charities such as Prostate Cancer UK and public figures including Stephen Fry, Rishi Sunak, and David Cameron expressed “deep disappointment,” warning it could lead to more late diagnoses.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he would closely review the evidence before a final decision is made in March.
