A UK government health panel has advised against offering prostate cancer screening to most men, saying the harms outweigh the benefits. The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) instead recommended targeted screening only for men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants, who face a higher risk of developing aggressive cancers.
The committee found that nationwide screening or screening based on family history would lead to high levels of overdiagnosis, detecting many slow-growing cancers that would never cause harm but could result in unnecessary treatment and serious side-effects. Evidence was also deemed insufficient to recommend screening for Black men, despite their higher risk.
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the UK, but the PSA test used for screening is unreliable. The draft guidance is now open for consultation before a final decision in March.
Charities and public figures, including Stephen Fry, Rishi Sunak, and David Cameron, expressed disappointment, warning that high-risk men could face late diagnoses. Others, such as Cancer Research UK and the Royal College of GPs, supported the evidence-based approach.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he would review the evidence carefully while continuing efforts to improve early cancer detection.
