A UK government health panel has recommended against introducing prostate cancer screening for most men, saying the harms—mainly high levels of overdiagnosis—would outweigh the benefits. Charities and public figures expressed “deep disappointment” at the decision.
Instead, the UK National Screening Committee advised offering screening only to men with confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants, who could be tested every two years between ages 45 and 61. These men face a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer, but they represent only a small fraction of the population.
The committee said that PSA testing is not reliable enough for widespread use and could detect many slow-growing cancers that would never cause harm, leading to unnecessary treatment and side-effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Evidence was also considered too uncertain to justify screening Black men or those with a family history of cancer, despite their elevated risk.
Cancer Research UK and the Royal College of GPs supported the evidence-based decision, while Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research, Stephen Fry, Rishi Sunak and David Cameron criticised the exclusion of high-risk groups.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he would review the draft recommendation, which is now open to public consultation before a final decision is made in March.
