Overview
- Charity analysis shows 64,425 prostate cancer diagnoses in 2022, a 24% rise on 2021 and a 42% increase over a decade, with UK-wide figures now confirming it as the most commonly diagnosed cancer.
- The UK National Screening Committee’s December draft advises against population screening using the PSA test, citing potential harms, and supports two‑yearly checks only for men with BRCA1/2 mutations aged 45–61.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting says he was surprised by the screening advice and is reviewing the findings following the committee’s draft recommendation.
- Prostate Cancer UK and high-profile patients, including Sir Chris Hoy, call for wider or targeted checks and for NHS guidance to be updated so GPs can proactively offer PSA tests to men at higher risk.
- Significant inequalities persist, with lower testing rates in parts of northern England and later-stage diagnosis more common in deprived areas and in Scotland; a major trial of PSA plus rapid MRI aims to deliver evidence within two years.