Overview
- The Transform programme has begun with initial participants tested, launching a £42 million effort funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
- Researchers are comparing PSA blood tests, 10‑minute MRI scans and saliva‑based genetic checks to find the safest and most accurate way to spot dangerous cancers early.
- The launch comes as the UK National Screening Committee readies final guidance after advising last year against population PSA testing, with a pledge to review new evidence from Transform.
- Organisers are prioritising higher‑risk groups and aim for about 10% of participants to be Black men, who face roughly double the risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer.
- The first phase plans invitations to about 16,000 men before moving the best approach into a larger evaluation of up to 300,000 men, with results intended to guide national policy within two years.