A UK government health panel has advised against offering prostate cancer screening to most men, 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 face a higher risk of aggressive cancer. These men could be tested every two years from age 45 to 61.
The committee found that broad PSA screening would cause high levels of overdiagnosis, detecting many slow-growing cancers that would never cause harm but could lead to unnecessary treatment and serious side effects. Evidence was also deemed insufficient to recommend screening for Black men or those with a family history of cancer, despite their higher risk.
The draft recommendation will undergo a 12-week consultation. Health secretary Wes Streeting said he would closely examine the evidence.
Charities responded with mixed reactions. Cancer Research UK supported the evidence-based approach, while Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research, and public figures including Stephen Fry, Rishi Sunak, and David Cameron expressed “deep disappointment,” warning that high-risk groups may face delayed diagnoses.
Streeting said he aims to improve early cancer detection but must balance this with the potential harms of widespread screening.
