Overview
- Prostate Cancer UK reports 64,425 diagnoses in 2022, up 24% on 2021 and surpassing 61,640 breast cancer cases.
- The UK National Screening Committee’s December draft advises against population PSA screening, citing overdiagnosis and treatment harms.
- Targeted screening is proposed for men with BRCA1/2 mutations every two years between ages 45 and 61.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting says he is reviewing the draft ahead of a final decision in March, and the government is funding the £42 million Transform trial with Prostate Cancer UK.
- Inequities persist, with men in deprived areas 29% more likely to be diagnosed after spread and late-stage diagnoses higher in Scotland (31%) than England (21%), while NHS guidance limits proactive GP offers of PSA tests.