UK panel advises against widespread prostate cancer screening, citing "harms outweighing benefits"
A group of expert health advisers has recommended that prostate cancer screening should not be made available to the majority of men in the UK. The decision has sparked "deep disappointment" among charities and campaigners who had been pushing for a nationwide screening programme.
The National Screening Committee's (UKNSC) draft recommendation suggests that targeted screening for men with a confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variant, which increases their risk of developing prostate cancer, could be considered. However, for the rest of the population, the committee found that the potential benefits would be outweighed by the harms.
The panel's decision is largely due to concerns about over-diagnosis and overtreatment, which can lead to unnecessary anxiety, side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, and even death from treatments that may not have caused harm. In fact, the committee estimated that up to 40-50% of prostate cancer cases detected by PSA screening would be slow-growing and not aggressive.
Black men, who are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer due to their genetic predisposition, were also found to have "lacking and uncertain" evidence for widespread screening. The panel noted that current data suggests that annual screening programmes for black men aged between 55 and 60 could lead to high rates of overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
In response to the draft recommendation, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has promised to examine the evidence thoroughly before a final decision is made in March. While some charities have welcomed the committee's evidence-based approach, others have expressed "deep disappointment" that men with the highest risk of prostate cancer would not be offered screening.
The decision comes as no surprise, given concerns about the reliability of PSA testing and the need for more targeted approaches to cancer screening. Cancer Research UK has supported the committee's conclusion that for other groups of men, there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend widespread screening.
The recommendation marks a significant shift in policy, highlighting the importance of evidence-based decision-making in cancer screening. As one charity executive noted, "Research and evidence can shift the dial and save men's lives."
A group of expert health advisers has recommended that prostate cancer screening should not be made available to the majority of men in the UK. The decision has sparked "deep disappointment" among charities and campaigners who had been pushing for a nationwide screening programme.
The National Screening Committee's (UKNSC) draft recommendation suggests that targeted screening for men with a confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variant, which increases their risk of developing prostate cancer, could be considered. However, for the rest of the population, the committee found that the potential benefits would be outweighed by the harms.
The panel's decision is largely due to concerns about over-diagnosis and overtreatment, which can lead to unnecessary anxiety, side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, and even death from treatments that may not have caused harm. In fact, the committee estimated that up to 40-50% of prostate cancer cases detected by PSA screening would be slow-growing and not aggressive.
Black men, who are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer due to their genetic predisposition, were also found to have "lacking and uncertain" evidence for widespread screening. The panel noted that current data suggests that annual screening programmes for black men aged between 55 and 60 could lead to high rates of overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
In response to the draft recommendation, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has promised to examine the evidence thoroughly before a final decision is made in March. While some charities have welcomed the committee's evidence-based approach, others have expressed "deep disappointment" that men with the highest risk of prostate cancer would not be offered screening.
The decision comes as no surprise, given concerns about the reliability of PSA testing and the need for more targeted approaches to cancer screening. Cancer Research UK has supported the committee's conclusion that for other groups of men, there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend widespread screening.
The recommendation marks a significant shift in policy, highlighting the importance of evidence-based decision-making in cancer screening. As one charity executive noted, "Research and evidence can shift the dial and save men's lives."
super bummed about this news 
. I know some guys who have been through prostate cancer treatment and it's no joke 
. But at the same time, I get why the UK panel made this decision 
. All that PSA testing can be pretty sketchy 
, and we don't want to end up with dudes getting unnecessary meds that cause more harm than good 
.
. It's like, they're already stuck in a tough spot 
. Can't we find a way to make targeted screenings work better? 
. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope the Health Secretary takes his time to examine all the evidence and doesn't rush into anything 
. We gotta make sure we're doing everything we can to help guys like these, you feel? 
I guess the thing is, they did say there’s some targeted screening for BRCA1 and 2 gene variants which might be a good start? Fingers crossed that they actually follow through with that 
. It’s all kinda confusing, but at least the experts are looking out for everyone, right? 
But I suppose that's just the way it goes in medicine... always trying to find the right balance between prevention and treatment.
The latest decision from the UK panel about prostate cancer screening is a real head-scratcher! 
I mean, on one hand, you've got these charities who are super disappointed that they won't be able to offer screening to everyone. But on the other hand, it's hard not to agree with the committee's stance when you think about all the potential downsides of PSA testing... 
I mean, we don't want to end up like those cases where men get treated for something that wouldn't have caused harm in the first place! 
And can you blame them for wanting more targeted approaches? 
I'm glad Cancer Research UK is on board with this decision. It just goes to show how important it is to rely on evidence and not jump into things without thinking them through... 
it's like the system is gonna leave a whole group behind 
this is such a bummer... I mean, prostate cancer is no joke, but not everyone needs to be screened all the time. My dad had his prostate checked just last year because of some family history thingy and it came back normal 
. Now he's good as gold! But what about people who don't have that family connection? Do they just have to live with the uncertainty? And those black men... it's so unfair that they're disproportionately affected by this disease already. I feel like we need to be more careful about how we screen for cancers and not just throw a bunch of meds at people without thinking about the long-term effects