Government Responds to Screening Advice

The UK Government has announced a new package of measures on prostate cancer, including plans to accept the UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) recent recommendations, expand research, and improve access to treatment. 

The announcement follows the UK NSC’s final advice, which ministers have today confirmed they will accept. The announcement confirmed a limited approach to screening. 

Under the new programme, screening will only be offered to a narrow group of men at highest genetic risk. 

Men aged 45–61 who carry a BRCA2 gene variant and have a relevant family history of cancer will be offered a PSA test every two years, with roll-out expected from 2027.  

This final recommendation includes the removal of BRCA1 carriers from eligibility, representing a further narrowing of who will receive screening since the UK NSC’s draft recommendations late last year.

Alongside the screening decision, the Government has set out a broader package aimed at improving outcomes for prostate cancer patients in England, including: 

• Providing up to £18 million in new funding to expand the TRANSFORM trial, enabling all eligible Black men to be invited to Stage 2 of the trial, subject to successful Stage 1 outcomes. 
• Investing up to £2.8 million in capital funding to strengthen and expand provision of focal therapy, in line with the expansion of the TRANSFORM trial.

• Exploring guidance to help GPs support men with a suspected family history of prostate cancer who are not eligible for screening but ask about a PSA test.

• Updating guidance for GPs and the public, intended to make advice on PSA testing clearer.

The UK Government is expected to work towards rolling out its targeted screening programme from 2027 within England. The devolved governments are also expected to respond to the recommendations to consider for rollout in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

While the UK NSC has committed to maintaining and updating its economic model as new evidence emerges, today’s decision means that many men at elevated risk – including those with a strong family history and others disproportionately affected – remain outside the scope of screening. 

A number of the underlying concerns around the UK NSC’s screening model remain in need of addressing, particularly as the model will now be maintained to respond to new evidence. As next steps, we are encouraging UK NSC to: 

• Commission an independent review of the current economic model and recalibrate it accordingly 

• Incorporate contemporary evidence, including long-term trial data presented at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in March, and forthcoming evidence from Stockholm3 and Göteborg-2  

• Formally model the Stockholm3 blood test, which had originally been within scope of the Committee’s six proposed scenarios 

• Reassess its recommendation in light of this updated evidence.  

David James, Director of Patient Projects and Influencing at Prostate Cancer Research, said: 

“This is a deeply disappointing moment for men and families across the country who know first-hand the devastating impact of prostate cancer. For those at highest risk, this decision to accept the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation will feel like yet another setback. This government has missed an historic opportunity. 

“While there are elements of today’s broader package of announcements that we welcome – including improving guidance to GPs, expanding access to focal therapies, and a commitment to keep the screening model under review – the central issue remains unresolved: too many men at highest risk are still being left without access to screening. 

“We welcome the additional funding for the TRANSFORM trial and the commitment to increase participation among Black men, who face double the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and are more likely to die from the disease. However, this investment must now deliver real results. Recruitment must move quickly, findings must be reported at the earliest opportunity, and the UK National Screening Committee must be prepared to act on emerging evidence rather than wait years for the perfect dataset. Men at highest risk have already waited too long. 

“If this is truly a live and evolving process, then new and emerging evidence must be incorporated into the model transparently and without delay, with clear accountability for how decisions are made and updated. 

“Prostate Cancer Research will continue to work with partners across the sector to ensure that future decisions are driven by the best available evidence and deliver a screening approach that is both equitable and fit for modern clinical practice.”