Screening men for prostate cancer could reduce deaths from the disease by 13%, according to a major European study.
Researchers found that testing using the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test led to a sustained fall in mortality over 23 years, preventing one death for every 456 men screened.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 162,000 men from eight countries. It revealed that the benefits of screening now outweigh potential harms such as over-diagnosis or unnecessary treatment.
Experts say improved diagnostic tools and modern treatments — including MRI scans before biopsy and less invasive surgery — have made screening safer and more effective.
Professor Nick James of the Institute of Cancer Research said the new data “strengthens the case for PSA-based screening”, comparing its impact to breast and bowel cancer screening programmes.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, with around 63,000 new cases and 12,000 deaths each year. Early diagnosis is crucial — nine in ten men survive at least ten years when cancer is detected early, compared with fewer than one in five when found late.
Campaigners, including Prostate Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer UK, say the findings prove screening “saves lives while minimising side effects” and are urging the government to introduce a national screening programme, starting with men at highest risk — such as Black men and those with a family history of the disease.
The UK National Screening Committee is reviewing the latest evidence and is expected to issue recommendations later this year.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have both backed calls for targeted prostate cancer checks, describing them as potentially life-saving and cost-effective.
