Health campaigners and charities have expressed disappointment after NHS experts advised against introducing wider prostate cancer screening for most men in the UK.
The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) said the current evidence does not support a national screening programme using the PSA blood test, warning it could lead to unnecessary treatment and side effects for some men.
Under the recommendations, routine screening would only be offered to a smaller group of men aged between 45 and 61 who carry the BRCA2 gene mutation and have a family history of certain cancers.
The committee said there remains “ongoing uncertainty” over whether wider screening for other higher-risk groups, including black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer, would do more good than harm.
Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the UK, with more than 64,000 cases identified every year. Around 12,000 men die from the disease annually.
Several charities and campaigners said they were deeply disappointed by the decision, arguing advances in MRI scanning and modern diagnostic techniques have made screening more accurate and reduced the risks of unnecessary treatment.
The charity Prostate Project said excluding black men and men with a family history from targeted screening could “deepen health inequalities”, noting both groups face a significantly higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
An independent review commissioned by campaign groups also criticised the economic model used during the decision-making process, arguing it relied on outdated assumptions about diagnosis and treatment pathways.
The UKNSC said widespread PSA testing still carries risks because some prostate cancers grow so slowly they would never cause harm during a man’s lifetime. Experts warned treatment can sometimes lead to long-term side effects including incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
A major new £42 million study known as the TRANSFORM trial is currently testing whether newer screening methods could provide a safer and more effective national programme in future.
Politicians including former prime minister Rishi Sunak have criticised the decision, with supporters of wider screening arguing earlier diagnosis could save thousands of lives each year.
Mr Sunak wrote on X:
“Today’s decision on prostate cancer screening will be hugely disappointing to the thousands of brave men who have campaigned for a targeted screening programme to prevent more families from losing a father, a son or a brother before their time.
“For just 0.01% of the NHS budget, we could’ve had a targeted screening programme that would have saved lives. Screening is now more effective than it has ever been, but the model guiding the Committee’s decision does not reflect these developments.
“We must take this opportunity to save lives, reduce inequalities and bring prostate cancer screening into line with how the disease is diagnosed and treated today.”
The Government said it would now consider the committee’s recommendations before making a final decision.
