A pivotal update on the future of prostate cancer care in the United Kingdom is expected today, Friday, 28 November 2025. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is due to deliver its recommendations on potentially expanding screening for the disease, a significant development given the current absence of a national screening programme.
The Screening Dilemma and New Recommendations
The core of the issue lies with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. The UK NSC has long maintained that the PSA test is not accurate enough to be used as a primary, nationwide screening tool. Key concerns include the test's tendency to miss some treatable cancers while simultaneously flagging slow-growing, indolent cancers that may never cause harm.
This inaccuracy can lead to unnecessary overtreatment, which often comes with severe side-effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction. In its review, the committee has considered several targeted approaches. These include focusing screening efforts on men with a family history of the disease, those from specific ethnic backgrounds known to be at higher risk, and carriers of the BRCA2 gene. A broader screening model for men aged 45 to 70 has also been under examination.
The £42 Million 'Transform' Trial
Hope for a more effective national programme rests on ongoing research. A major new study, the £42 million Transform trial, is now exploring a more sophisticated diagnostic pathway. This research is investigating whether combining the traditional PSA test with advanced scans like an MRI can create a viable screening method.
The goal of this combined approach is clear: to dramatically reduce prostate cancer deaths across the UK while successfully minimising the risks of overtreatment and its associated harms. The findings from this large-scale trial could pave the way for a future where widespread, intelligent prostate cancer screening becomes a standard reality.
