A significant report by Prostate Cancer Research has unveiled a compelling case for the NHS to implement targeted prostate cancer screening, estimating the cost at just £18 per patient, which is notably lower than current breast screening programmes. This proposed lifesaving initiative, detailed in the report, suggests that such a programme would necessitate only five additional MRI scanners and 75 extra staff, including four urologists, to effectively catch the disease earlier when it is most treatable. Analysis from the report indicates that this proactive approach could prevent thousands of deaths and collectively extend men's lives by an additional 1,254 years annually.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), responsible for advising the government on national screening programmes, is currently reviewing advancements in prostate cancer diagnosis and is expected to release its findings later this year. However, recent leaks suggest the committee may be leaning against a national prostate cancer screening programme, despite the new evidence highlighting the cost-effectiveness of a targeted approach, which would be £4 less per eligible patient than the established breast cancer screening for women.

Prostate Cancer Research is strongly advocating for the UK NSC members to meticulously consider its 'significant' new evidence before making their final decision. The charity estimates that a targeted screening programme for 1.3 million high-risk men in the UK – specifically those aged 45 to 69 who are black or have a family history of the disease – would cost £25 million annually. This investment is projected to yield one extra year of life saved for every £20,000 spent, which the report describes as 'strong evidence in favour of targeted screening.'

Further advancements in prostate cancer testing are anticipated to reduce this cost by a third, bringing it down to £17 million, while simultaneously enhancing accuracy. The report acknowledges that a targeted screening programme would likely increase the demand for PSA blood tests, MRI scans, and biopsies by 23 percent. However, it assures that this increase would be 'manageable' with a modest expansion of NHS staff. The NHS could either rent five MRI scanners per year, each costing approximately £1 million, or utilize existing spare capacity within the private sector, which could offer fully-staffed mobile machines. Identifying men eligible for these checks is also feasible, as ethnicity and age are now routinely recorded in GP records, and doctors can add notes regarding family history.

Oliver Kemp, chief executive of Prostate Cancer Research, emphasized the urgency: 'We hope the UK National Screening Committee will take notice of the significant findings in this report. It shows that a national screening programme for prostate cancer — targeting men at highest risk — is affordable, deliverable, and will save lives. We cannot sit still while more than 12,000 fathers, husbands, and sons are lost every year. How many more families must be devastated before we act? It’s high time we screen.'

The call for a national prostate cancer screening programme, initially targeted at high-risk men, has garnered significant support. The Daily Mail is actively campaigning to end preventable prostate cancer deaths. High-profile figures, including former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly, and Labour MP Calvin Bailey (chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on prostate cancer), have all publicly expressed their backing. Health Secretary Wes Streeting specifically told MPs in April that he supports the NHS proactively offering men tests for the disease, particularly for high-risk individuals, to prevent thousands of needless deaths. Prostate cancer stands as the most common cancer in men in the UK, with approximately 63,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths occurring annually. Early detection is crucial, as nine in ten men diagnosed in the early stages survive ten years or more, whereas this survival rate plummets to fewer than one in five if the cancer is caught late after it has spread. The Prostate Cancer Research report is scheduled to be launched at a parliamentary event in the House of Commons.