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6d ago

Canada’s Prostate Screening Guidance on Hold as UK Review Targets High-Risk Tests

Advocacy groups have highlighted thousands of delayed diagnoses alongside glaring disparities in PSA testing access.

Rensford De Haan heard about the free PSA testing clinic and took a blood test in 2023 which showed his PSA level was elevated. A biopsy later revealed he had prostate cancer.

Overview

  • Canada’s Task Force on Preventive Health Care has remained suspended since March after an external governance review began overhauling its processes, delaying any update to the 2014 PSA screening guidelines.
  • In July, a panel of Toronto urologists and oncologists published a Lancet Regional Health–Americas paper calling for a population-wide trial of targeted PSA tests for men at elevated risk, including those who are Black or have a family history.
  • Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the Walnut Foundation have operated 11 mobile PSA clinics in Greater Toronto Area Black communities since 2023, screening 655 men and referring 16 percent for follow-up.
  • UK NHS survey data show that nearly 10,000 men are diagnosed only after three GP visits, with more than 5 percent requiring five or more visits before referral, underscoring diagnostic gaps.
  • The UK National Screening Committee is actively reviewing evidence on offering PSA tests to high-risk men, with a recommendation on targeted screening expected later this year.