David James
Director of Patient Projects and Influencing, Prostate Cancer Research
Every year in the UK, over 12,000 men die from prostate cancer — one every 45 minutes. It is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men.1
Unlike other major cancers (breast, bowel or cervical), there is still no national screening programme. Whether a man’s cancer is found early enough to be cured still depends on luck, postcode or how persistent he is with his GP.
Inequitable burden of prostate cancer
That system is failing thousands — and it is failing them unequally. Black men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it, while men with a family history of the disease face a similar, heightened risk. Men in poorer areas are also less likely to be diagnosed early or offered the best treatments. The result is a deepening inequality that costs lives.
Darren knows this too well. Diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer in his 40s, this father of two young boys now fears he won’t see them grow up. His story is tragically common – and entirely preventable.
Screening will save lives, and
it’s safer than ever before.
Targeted screening programme
At Prostate Cancer Research, we believe that must change. Last year, working with Deloitte, we produced the first macroeconomic model showing that introducing a targeted screening programme would not only save thousands of lives but deliver a positive socioeconomic benefit to the UK.
This year, we launched a follow-up report showing how screening could be delivered within the NHS – practical, affordable and starting with those at highest risk: Black men and men with a family history, aged 45–69.
Safe path to screening today
Historic concerns about screening for prostate cancer centred on fears that it would pick up harmless cancers and lead to unnecessary treatments with life-changing side effects. However, science and medicine have moved on. MRI has been a game-changer, allowing doctors to distinguish aggressive cancers from those that can safely be monitored. Screening will save lives, and it’s safer than ever before.
It’s time for the UK to introduce a prostate cancer screening programme, starting with those men at highest risk. It is time the public demands it.
Join our fight for earlier, fairer diagnosis at pcr.org.uk/screening
[1] Cancer Research UK. Prostate cancer statistics.
