Most Men Should Not Be Screened For Prostate Cancer, Says Expert Body

A screening programme for prostate crab successful each men is not justified, according to a hugely influential group of experts.

Instead they opportunity only men pinch circumstantial familial mutations that lead to much fierce tumours should beryllium eligible.

That would norm retired achromatic men who person double nan consequence and men who person nan illness moving done their families.

The guidance has ranged from afloat support to terrible disappointment, including from Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy who has terminal prostate cancer.

This is simply a important infinitesimal aft much than a twelvemonth of aggravated campaigning and lobbying involving erstwhile premier ministers, celebrities and campaigning charities.

The UK's National Screening Committee – which advises governments crossed nan UK – has said nary to screening successful each but 1 uncommon circumstance.

Prostate crab is nan astir communal crab successful men and kills 12,000 group crossed nan UK each year.

It instinctively feels for illustration screening for nan illness should beryllium a elemental determination - trial for cancer, dainty it and prevention lives.

However, it is simply a acold much knotty issue.

Screening would trust connected a humor trial followed by scans of nan prostate and a biopsy.

But this tin miss deadly cancers and observe those that ne'er request treatment.

Many prostate cancers turn truthful slow you would person to unrecorded to 120-150 years aged earlier they were a threat - truthful they do not request treating, nan National Screening Committee said.

Their recommendations are based connected nan equilibrium betwixt lives saved by uncovering cancers early, and curen that leaves patients incapable to power their bladder aliases support an erection, whose crab was not going to termination them.

The UK National Screening Committee recommends:

• no screening programme for each men arsenic it is "likely to origin much harm than good"
• no screening for achromatic men owed to "uncertainties" astir nan effect owed to a deficiency of objective tests successful achromatic men
• no screening based connected family history
• but screening should beryllium offered each 2 years for men betwixt nan ages of 45 and 61 if they person circumstantial familial mutations - called BRCA variants.

I americium told these were not touch-and-go opinions arsenic location was a "strong consensus" connected each of these recommendations.

BRCA variants summation nan consequence of definite cancers and, famously, led nan character Angelina Jolie to person her breasts removed.

Around 3 successful 1,000 men person BRCA variants, but galore will beryllium unaware unless they person family members that are known carriers.

I challenged nan National Screening Committee to explicate why they were not recommending much men are tested.

Prof Freddie Hamdy, who is besides a urological surgeon successful Oxford, told me: "The test of prostate crab successful a patient man is simply a hugely disruptive arena – pinch imaginable to impact value of life, very significantly, for galore years.

"It cannot beryllium done lightly, men request to beryllium really good counselled and informed earlier nan 'snowball' starts.

"Before you cognize it, you are connected nan operating array having your prostate removed – and we spot examples of that each nan time," Prof Hamdy said.

The screening committee's determination is not nan last word. Today is nan commencement of a three-month consultation earlier nan committee meets again and gives its last proposal to ministers successful England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland who will each person to make their ain determination connected prostate screening.

Wes Streeting, Health Secretary successful England, responded saying he wants screening "provided this is backed by evidence" and that he would analyse nan grounds "thoroughly" up of nan last proposal successful March.

Responses to nan screening recommendations person been divided. Cancer Research UK said it was "good news" that screening was being considered for men pinch faulty BRCA genes and that they "support nan committee's conclusion" that screening could origin much harm than bully for different groups of men.

Sir Chris Hoy said he was "extremely disappointed and saddened", and described tests for men pinch BRCA variants arsenic "a very mini measurement forward" that was not enough.

"I know, first hand, that by sharing my communicative pursuing my ain test 2 years ago, many, galore lives person been saved. Early screening and test saves lives," he said.

Laura Kerby, nan CEO of Prostate Cancer UK, said she was "deeply disappointed" and that nan determination will "come arsenic a blow" to tens of thousands of men.

Prostate Cancer Research said nan determination was "a superior correction that ignores modern evidence" and was a missed opportunity for Black men and those pinch a family history.

Sir Stephen Fry, who is an ambassador for nan charity, said "men successful nan UK merit truthful overmuch better" and added "I dream nan state sees sense."

A immense objective proceedings - called Transform - has now started to effort to capable gaps successful nan grounds connected really screening could beryllium safely rolled retired to different groups, including those pinch a family history and achromatic men.