Prostate cancer has overtaken breast cancer to become the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer across the United Kingdom, according to a major new analysis by the charity Prostate Cancer UK.
A Nationwide Surge in Diagnoses
The study, which examined NHS figures, found there were 64,425 diagnoses of prostate cancer in 2022. This compares to 61,640 new cases of breast cancer in the same period, cementing prostate cancer's position at the top of the list. The charity attributes part of this rise to successful risk-awareness campaigns, which have encouraged more men to seek checks.
Approximately one in eight men in the UK will be affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime, with the disease causing around 12,200 deaths annually. The risk is significantly higher for black men, with one in four likely to be diagnosed.
The 'Postcode Lottery' of Testing and Diagnosis
The report highlights profound and unfair geographical inequalities, which it terms a "postcode lottery". There are stark variations in when men are diagnosed. For instance, 31% of men in Scotland receive a stage 4 diagnosis, compared to 21% in England.
Rates of PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing, a key initial blood test, were highest in south-east England and lowest in the north-west. Furthermore, men living in more deprived areas were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer that had already spread than those in affluent regions.
"Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, but despite this, men are facing deeply unfair inequities across the country, and their experiences vary hugely based on where they live," said Chiara De Biase, Director of Health Services, Equity and Improvement at Prostate Cancer UK. "We urgently need an early detection programme that will address these regional inequities."
Debate Over Screening and NHS Action
The findings come amid ongoing debate about national screening. In November, a government advisory panel recommended against a mass screening programme for most men, citing risks of overdiagnosis. Instead, it advised targeted screening every two years for men aged 45-61 with specific high-risk genetic variants (BRCA1/BRCA2).
This stance has been challenged by campaigners who argue that high-risk groups, including black men and those with a family history, should have better access to screening.
In response to the growing burden of the disease, the NHS in England recently expanded access to the drug abiraterone, a treatment expected to save thousands of lives. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated the government is determined to improve outcomes, acknowledging that "too many men in deprived communities are being diagnosed at a later stage."
The analysis marks the first time UK-wide figures, incorporating data from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, have confirmed prostate cancer as the nation's most common cancer. Scotland alone saw 5,608 diagnoses in 2022, a 30% increase on previous figures.
