Overview
- An updated Cochrane review pooling six randomized trials and about 789,000 men finds PSA testing prevents roughly 2 prostate cancer deaths per 1,000 men invited.
- The analysis also shows screening detects about 30% more cancers, which equates to around 36 extra diagnoses per 1,000 men.
- The trials did not track quality‑of‑life harms such as biopsy complications, loss of bladder control, or sexual dysfunction, so the size of those risks remains unclear.
- The authors say the finding supports an informed, one‑to‑one discussion for men with longer life expectancy rather than a universal screening programme.
- UK screening advisers who rejected routine PSA testing in November 2025 are reassessing the case as newer tools like MRI, targeted biopsies, and biomarker panels aim to cut overdiagnosis.