By Ian Quinn
The UK National Screening Committee has decided not to recommend the introduction of a PSA screening programme for prostate cancer, claiming that the risk of harms outweighs the potential benefits.
At a meeting last week the committee took the move following what it said was ‘extensive work' to look at costs, benefits and impact on men of screening different age ranges for prostate cancer work undertaken by the Sheffield School of Health and Related Research.
The work found that the harms from prostate cancer screening using PSA outweighed the benefits.
Speaking after the meeting, UK NSC Programme Director Dr Anne Mackie, said: ‘I'm confident that this is the right decision. This advice is based on the latest research evidence, and informed by a range of groups including healthcare professionals and patient representatives.
‘The NHS Cancer Screening Programme will continue to provide advice to help men who are concerned about prostate cancer to make informed decisions about their health."
PSA tests
