The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2025: Double Your Impact for Prostate Cancer Research
2 December 2025
The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2025: Double Your Impact for Prostate Cancer Research
Life-saving targeted prostate cancer screening would cost just 0.01% of annual NHS budget, reveals new report
A new report from Prostate Cancer Research, launching today at the House of Commons, proves a national screening programme targeted at high-risk men is affordable, practical, and a vital step in reversing health inequalities, costing only £18 per eligible person.
[London, UK] The introduction of a national prostate cancer screening programme targeted at men at highest risk is practical, affordable, and will save thousands of lives, according to a major new report due to be unveiled at a parliamentary event in the House of Commons today (Tuesday, October 14) and published online here.
The analysis, commissioned by Prostate Cancer Research (PCR), finds that a targeted screening programme for Black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer would cost the NHS an extra £25 million a year: just 0.01% of the UK’s annual NHS budget.
The findings challenge the notion that the NHS cannot cope with the demand of a national screening programme, demonstrating that the benefits of introducing targeted screening for those at highest risk outweigh the financial and logistical costs.
The report’s key findings include:
- Value for life saved: The annual investment of £25 million would translate to an estimated 1,254 years of life saved for the target groups each year. This equates to approximately £20,000 for every extra year of life saved, representing strong evidence in favour of targeted screening.
- Comparable and reasonable cost: The estimated cost per eligible individual is just £18, aligning with, or below, existing national cancer screening programmes like breast and bowel cancer. Moreover, the introduction of reflex testing in the future could further reduce annual costs by ~33% to ~£17m, while improving accuracy and reducing unnecessary investigations.
- Manageable NHS impact: The targeted screening programme would generate an approximately 23% increase in current diagnostic activity (PSA blood tests, MRI scans, and biopsies). This demand would be manageable with a relatively small percentage increase in NHS workforce numbers, ranging from 0.01% (GPs) up to 0.4% (pathologists).
- Case finding is now possible: Previously there had been concerns that it would be impossible to find men in these high-risk groups. The report shows that identifying Black men within a specific age range is relatively straightforward, as ethnicity and age are now routinely captured in most primary care records. Identifying individuals with a family history is also possible, with recent pilots showing that supplementing GP records with self-reported data can significantly improve case identification.
Prostate Cancer Research is calling on the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) to fully consider this significant new evidence as they conduct their review of prostate cancer screening, ahead of a decision expected before the end of the year.
“We have an urgent and undeniable problem: men at the highest risk of prostate cancer, particularly Black men, are still being diagnosed too late and facing poorer outcomes. But times have changed, and the historical concerns that held back screening are being overcome by a revolution in diagnostics. We now have the advanced tools - from smarter blood tests and precision MRI to safer biopsy techniques- that allow us to screen these high-risk groups effectively and safely. This isn't about simply finding more cancers; it's about finding the right cancers earlier. It is imperative that the National Screening Committee weighs this new evidence and recognises that we now have a clear, science-backed path to tackle these profound health inequalities."
Professor Nick James, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Prostate Cancer Research at the Institute of Cancer Research
“Our report proves without doubt that a targeted screening programme can and should be implemented now. The current system, which relies on men to come forward, is failing thousands of families every single year. For an investment of just £18 per eligible person - a cost entirely comparable with breast and bowel cancer screening - we can give men at the highest risk a fighting chance of early diagnosis, when their cancer would be easiest to treat. The demands on our NHS are manageable when compared to the enormous, life-saving benefits. The evidence is clear; every year we delay costs more lives and tears more families apart.”
Oliver Kemp MBE, Chief Executive, Prostate Cancer Research
“This is an important contribution to the National Screening Committee’s deliberations. What we must look at is a new type of targeted screening that recognises that risks aren’t equal across the population – Black men, men with family histories, and those with a genetic susceptibility need access to earlier diagnosis. With advances in clinical practice, we can now direct men into pathways tailored for them, minimising the risk of medical harm while saving lives.”
Calvin Bailey MBE MP, Chair of the Prostate Cancer APPG
“This powerful report makes a compelling case for a targeted screening programme for prostate cancer. We must act now. Delay will cost lives."
Rishi Sunak, Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond and Northallerton and Prostate Cancer Research Ambassador
Prostate Cancer Research is also calling on the public to support its campaign for the introduction of a national screening programme for prostate cancer, starting with men at highest risk: https://www.prostate-cancer-research.org.uk/screening/
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
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Prostate Cancer Screening: The Impact on the NHS, was commissioned by Prostate Cancer Research and launched at a parliamentary event in the House of Commons on Tuesday, October 14.
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The modelled programme targets Black men aged 45-69 and men aged 45-69 with a family history of prostate cancer, representing approximately 1.3 million men in the UK.
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The report focuses on how a targeted programme would reduce inequalities and save lives while demonstrating its affordability (~£25m annually) and deliverability, with advancing technology set to further reduce costs and improve accuracy.
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Media contact: Jess Farmery, [email protected]
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Prostate Cancer Research contact: David James, [email protected]