Hopes that a prostate cancer screening programme could be launched in the UK are expected to be dealt a blow today when the results of a major review are announced. The UK National Screening Committee has been considering whether PSA tests should be routinely offered to many more men at high risk of the disease.
Men can currently request the test from their GP, but previous reviews concluded it was not reliable enough to be used for an NHS screening programme. The committee, which will publish its draft recommendations at 3pm today, is expected to conclude that the harms could outweigh the benefits.
It is set to reject targeted screening for Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer, who are at higher risk, but launch a consultation on screening for men with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that increase risk of more aggressive tumours.
The decision comes after former prime minister Lord David Cameron added his voice to growing calls for screening.
He recently revealed he had been treated for prostate cancer after his wife, Samantha, heard the founder of Soho House, Nick Jones, speaking about his experience with the cancer on the radio.
The ex-Tory leader underwent a PSA test, an MRI scan and a biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis.
He said: “You always dread hearing those words. And then literally as they’re coming out of the doctor’s mouth you’re thinking, ‘Oh, no, he’s going to say it. He’s going to say it. Oh God, he said it.”
Lord Cameron told The Times he wanted to see screening offered to high-risk men.
He added: “I don’t particularly like discussing my personal intimate health issues, but I feel I ought to.
“Let’s be honest. Men are not very good at talking about their health. We tend to put things off.
“We’re embarrassed to talk about something like the prostate, because it’s so intricately connected with sexual health and everything else.
“I would feel bad if I didn’t come forward and say that I’ve had this experience. I had a scan. It helped me discover something that was wrong. It gave me the chance to deal with it.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males in the UK, with around 55,000 new cases every year.
