Targeted prostate cancer screening could save countless lives, says Sunak

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak told the BBC that a targeted prostate cancer screening service for men at the highest risk could

save countless lives. Sunak, a patron of Prostate Cancer Research, has released a study on the costs and benefits of such a scheme. It will be focusing on black men and/or those with a family history of prostate cancer who are aged 45 to 69. Sunak said he is

convinced of the urgency" of implementing such a program, which he hopes will be both affordable and deliverable. However, some medical experts are skeptical of the benefits of screening, while others are concerned that patients will be treated for the disease unnecessarily.

According to Prostate Cancer Research, the screening program, which will include an MRI scan, a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test, and a biopsy, will cost £25 million a year, or about £18 per patient, similar to bowel and breast cancer screening. It claims that 20% of eligible men are eligible, of which there are 1. With a 72% uptake rate, 3 million people in the United Kingdom will be admitted every year. According to the charity, diagnostic activities (scans and biopsies) will rise by 23%, with only modest increases in NHS staffing. The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland at the base of the bladder that naturally increases with age, but cells can also become cancerous if cells grow in an uncontrolled manner. In the early stages of prostate cancer, it can be symptomless.

Sunak said that testing had now become more reliable thanks to the use of MRI scans when asking whether he might have done more while on Downing Street to promote prostate cancer screening.

I've had relatives and friends who have been affected by it, but not lost their lives,

the doctors are so good at treating you early that they should have it.

Man, including himself, were often reluctant to discuss health issues, including myself,

Sunak said.

That's why a targeted screening program could make a difference in saving lives. According to the latest National Prostate Cancer Audit report, more than 58,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England alone in 2024, up 9% on 2023. According to Prostate Cancer Research, one in four black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, relative to one in eight white men and one in 13 men of other ethnic groups. If they have a family history of it, men are also more likely to experience the disease. The UK National Screening Committee is currently reviewing its decision not to recommend routine screening after five years. According to media reports, the company may keep its current position. Urologist Prof Noel Clarke, who represents the British Association of Urological Surgeons, told the national audit that although it was encouraging more men to be diagnosed and treated earlier,

we must also address the inequalities found by the report so that age and location never determine the quality of care men receive. Sir Steve McQueen, the Oscar winner, whose father's death from the disease inspired him to seek more information about it, agrees.

I find it very difficult to believe that just because people have a certain level of privilege they are entitled to be treated. He told BBC Radio 4's Today show,

It's unfair. He said that increased prostate cancer screening could help equalize the situation. Sir Steve was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 but he made a complete recovery.

I had the opportunity to find this disease but my father did not. Now we have the ability to save so many men of this disease, when they don't even know they have cancer,

he said.

Sir Chris Hoy, the Olympic cycling champion who has advanced prostate cancer, is pushing for earlier examinations. He wants the age of requesting a PSA blood test to be reduced. It is not yet available to men with gastrointestinal problems or those under the age of 50. The PSA test is controversial, though. Levels can rise for reasons other than cancer, such as viruses, resulting in false positives. According to critics, this can result in unnecessary therapy and side effects. According to the report's authors, the benefits of conducting targeted screening for those at the highest risk outweigh the financial and logistical costs. More research is required to determine the potential value of screening, according to Professor Hashim Ahmed, Chair of Urology at Imperial College. "We often find diseases that don't have to be treated and end up causing injury. The harm to profit ratio isn't quite correct, and here's why. Incontinence and erectile dysfunction are two potential side effects of prostate cancer therapy.

Patient voices are leading the conversation. Sunak encountered 66-year-old David Bateman on a recent trip to a prostate cancer clinic at Guy's Hospital in London. Since asking for a PSA exam, he was diagnosed with the cancer at the age of 59, and was told it had spread to his pelvis. Mr Bateman has since been offered chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy, but he is still cannot be cured. He encourages testing for those who are potentially vulnerable.