Overview
- The ERSPC randomized study tracked about 162,000 men aged 50–69 across eight European countries over 23 years.
- Offering periodic PSA tests reduced prostate cancer mortality by 13%, preventing one death for every 456 men invited to screen.
- Screening led to roughly 30% more diagnoses, with researchers highlighting harms from unnecessary testing, biopsies, overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
- Experts say MRI-led diagnostic pathways, targeted biopsies and modern treatments can reduce harms and may support targeted screening for higher‑risk groups.
- The UK National Screening Committee is reviewing the findings with a decision expected this year, as political and charity campaigns urge action; separately, NICE has approved abiraterone for newly diagnosed high‑risk metastatic cases.