Experts Consider ‘targeted’ Prostate Cancer Screening To Reduce Uk Deaths

Prostate crab screening tin trim deaths by 13%, a study suggests.

Cancer screening experts are assessing whether nan UK should present a screening programme for prostate cancer, pinch a determination expected earlier nan extremity of nan year.

The caller study, published successful nan New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that a “targeted” attack to screening could beryllium adopted to trim deaths from nan illness and besides forestall problems arising from “overdiagnosis”.

Researchers examined nan risks and benefits of screening crossed 8 European countries complete a 23-year period, including information connected 162,000 men – pinch 72,000 of these invited for screening. They recovered that 1 decease from prostate crab was prevented for each 456 men who were invited for screening. And 1 decease from prostate crab was averted for each 12 men successful whom prostate crab was diagnosed.

Commentators said nan findings are “comparable to that seen pinch bosom aliases bowel crab screening”.

As good arsenic a simplification successful deaths from prostate cancer, nan authors of nan study said screening has a “more favourable harm-to-benefit floor plan than antecedently estimated”. They besides said harms linked to screening “remain a captious concern”. These see unnecessary testing, biopsies, overdiagnosis and consequent overtreatment.

“These findings item nan request for a much targeted strategy for prostate crab screening that focuses connected identifying organization subgroups that are astir apt to use from early discovery while reducing unnecessary interventions for those pinch nan highest consequence of overdiagnosis,” they wrote.

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) trial is simply a humor trial which is utilized to cheque for prostate conditions including prostate crab aliases an enlarged prostate. Routine PSA testing is not offered connected nan NHS but men whitethorn beryllium offered a PSA trial if a GP suspects they person prostate cancer. Men complete nan property of 50 tin inquire their GP for a PSA test, moreover if they do not person symptoms.

Officials person faced accrued calls for a screening programme to beryllium introduced and will beryllium weighing up nan concerns outlined successful nan review.

Last week nan National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) approved a new curen action for men pinch prostate crab which has dispersed to different parts of nan body.

Nice initially rejected abiraterone, saying that it did not correspond worth for money for nan NHS. But now it has said abiraterone and its generic variants tin beryllium utilized successful operation pinch different treatments for recently diagnosed men pinch “high-risk hormone-sensitive” metastatic prostate cancer.

Nice said it was capable to reverse its 2021 determination because of lower-cost generic versions of nan drug. It said that astir 4,000 men will now beryllium capable to use from nan further curen option.