Screening Update

On 28/05/2026, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) published a final recommendation on prostate cancer screening, restricting this to men with a known BRCA2 gene variant with a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer. 

We strongly disagree with this decision. 

It excludes the majority of men at elevated risk, including Black men and those with a family history, and does not reflect the current evidence base or advances in diagnostic pathways. As a result, it falls short of what is needed to enable earlier diagnosis and reduce mortality. 

The final recommendations have also removed those with BRCA1 variants from its targeted population, covering a narrower proportion of men that face an increased genetic risk than had been in the initial draft recommendations. 

This decision is a setback, but it does not bring this campaign to a close. 

Over the past two years, this issue has gained unprecedented national traction. More than 300,000 people signed petitions calling for change, tens of thousands contacted their MPs, and over 250 MPs from across all major political parties expressed support for reform. 

We convened a coalition of 18 leading organisations spanning the clinical, research and charity sectors, establishing a strong, unified position on the need for a risk-based screening approach. The campaign also secured backing from major national media. You can read the coverage here. 

Crucially, supporter funding enabled an independent technical review of the UK NSC’s modelling by the York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC). This review identified significant methodological limitations, including assumptions that do not align with real-world implementation of screening, and the omission of contemporary MRI-led diagnostic pathways now central to clinical practice.  

These findings raise serious questions about the robustness of the current decision-making framework. Read our response and the full YHEC report here.

Despite the outcome, there has been a critical structural shift. For the first time, the UK NSC has committed to maintaining a ‘live’ model, allowing iterative updates as new clinical and economic evidence becomes available, rather than relying on fixed, multi-year review cycles. 

This materially changes the pathway to reform. 

Our next phase is focused and evidence-led. 

Over the coming two years, we will look towards opportunities to generate new data that could challenge this decision, with a particular focus on addressing identified gaps and strengthening the case for a targeted, risk-stratified screening programme. 

In parallel, we will continue to advocate for delivery of the National Cancer Plan, accelerate the adoption of improved diagnostic technologies through funded innovation, expand targeted engagement through our education and community programmes, and scale Prostate Progress, our national data platform, to address critical gaps in evidence and outcomes. 

One thing you can do today is help to ensure this decision on screening is given an opportunity to be scrutinised by MPs. We need more people to sign our petition to get it to 100,000 and trigger a debate in Parliament.  

We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to this campaign to date. Your generosity and passion has helped us gather evidence, make our case in the strongest possible terms and to do everything we can to push for a national screening programme for prostate cancer.  

This is a setback, but it is not the end. Your donations and support will help us to continue to build the case for change and press for a screening approach that reflects both the science and the needs of those most at risk. 

Although this is not the outcome we wanted, we need your backing more than ever. Please do consider making a regular gift to continue to help us build the evidence base for a national screening programme. As well as helping to continue our crucial research and support and advice for men living with prostate cancer.