The government has announced over £20 million of funding to improve prostate cancer research and treatment, alongside the introduction of a targeted prostate cancer screening programme.
A landmark prostate cancer screening trial will be expanded so that for the first time, all eligible Black men will be invited to take part. The TRANSFORM study - jointly funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) - is testing the best ways to detect prostate cancer earlier and save more lives, while avoiding unnecessary treatment and the associated harms.
The move recognises that Black men face a higher risk of prostate cancer and aims to build the evidence needed to find the best screening strategy and tackle long-standing inequalities.
Alongside this, the government has accepted a recommendation from the independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) to introduce England’s first targeted prostate cancer screening programme.
Men who carry the BRCA2 gene variant and have a family history of prostate, breast, pancreatic or ovarian cancer will be offered a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test every two years between the ages of 45 and 61. The final recommendation follows a public consultation that received nearly 1,000 responses, with the programme expected to be rolling out in 2027.
To ensure the expanded TRANSFORM study reaches Black men from all communities, investigators - supported by the funding from NIHR - are working with Prostate Cancer UK to boost community engagement around the country and encourage Black men to take part in the trial.
The government is also broadening access to focal therapies. These are less invasive treatments that target prostate cancer, giving men greater choice about their options when they receive a new diagnosis.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of NIHR, said: “Expansion of the TRANSFORM trial to all eligible Black men is a massive step forward in strengthening the evidence to find the best, most effective and safest ways to screen those at highest risk of prostate cancer. The investigator team will continue to work closely with Black community leaders and organisations to support meaningful participation in research across all parts of our society. Building a screening programme on the strongest possible evidence depends on people from all backgrounds taking part. We encourage anyone invited to take part to take up this opportunity.”
Director of Policy at Cancer Research UK, Dr Ian Walker, said: “The government’s decision to accept UK NSC’s recommendation for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme is in line with the currently available evidence. We appreciate this will be disappointing for some, but screening must be evidence-led and we welcome the committee’s assurance to assess any new evidence quickly. Cancer Research UK funded treatments like abiraterone have made a huge difference for men with prostate cancer, and we continue to invest in research for new tests and treatments. Meanwhile, we will be working with the government and wider cancer community to improve guidance for GPs to enable them to support men worried about their risk of prostate cancer.”
The independent UK NSC recommendation recognises that a national screening programme for all men could lead to large numbers being diagnosed and treated for cancers that would never have caused harm. This targeted approach focuses testing where the benefits clearly outweigh the risks.
From 2027 men diagnosed with prostate cancer that is being actively monitored or treated will be able to order a PSA test at home or book an in-person blood test locally through the NHS App.
As results come in from trials like TRANSFORM and the evidence base develops, UK NSC will keep recommendations under review to ensure screening policy continues to reflect the best available science.