Prominent figures including broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson and actor Sir Stephen Fry have joined former prime ministers Lord David Cameron and Rishi Sunak in calling for an expansion of prostate cancer screening in the UK.
The signatories have penned a letter to the new Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper, urging her to overturn a recent decision by the UK National Screening Committee that restricts screening for the disease.
"We are all united by a shared belief that no man in this country should die of a cancer that could have been caught in time," the letter states.
In May, the UK National Screening Committee recommended that prostate cancer screening be limited to approximately 1,500 men annually who possess a specific genetic mutation and a family history of associated cancers. The letter argues that this decision creates inequity, stating, "Everyone else at high risk doesn't have guaranteed access to a test that could save their life."
Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men in Britain, with an estimated 63,000 cases and 12,000 deaths each year. The letter highlights that many men are diagnosed too late for effective treatment.
The signatories point out that Black men have a one in four lifetime risk of developing the disease, double that of the general population. Men with a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer face a similar elevated risk.
The Daily Mail is campaigning for a national prostate cancer screening program, initially targeting high-risk individuals. The letter emphasizes that without a specific genetic variant, men currently have no guaranteed route to testing beyond hoping their GP takes their concerns seriously.
"Unless a man carries one specific genetic variant, there is still no route to a test beyond hoping a GP takes his concerns seriously. That cannot be right," the letter reads.
Appealing directly to Ms. Cooper, the prostate cancer survivors who signed the letter urge her to "change the story on prostate cancer and make a generational difference to men's health." They request that she reconsider the Committee's recommendation and commit to a targeted national screening program, advising action "rather than wait a decade for further trial data while men continue to die."
The letter also notes that advancements like MRI scans have improved diagnostic accuracy and points out the significant cost difference in treating the cancer, stating it costs approximately £13,000 when caught early compared to £127,000 if diagnosed late. A targeted national program is estimated to cost £25 million per year, which is 0.01 percent of the NHS budget.
Meanwhile, up to 10,000 men aged 45 to 74 will be offered a £99 prostate cancer blood test, known as Stockholm3, which has reportedly detected more than twice as many aggressive cancers as standard screening methods. This test, privately available since 2023, was instrumental in diagnosing Jeremy Clarkson last year. Around 8,000 men are expected to pay a subsidized price, with an additional 2,000 tests offered free to those who might otherwise struggle to afford them. This service will initially be available at Nuffield Health's Barbican Medical Centre in London.
This development follows the government's withdrawal of long-standing guidance that suggested men were entitled to request a PSA blood test. The Department of Health and Social Care clarified that the previous guidance did not establish an absolute right to a test and that final decisions remained with GPs.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the campaigners' efforts and stated that work has begun to implement England's first targeted prostate screening program following the National Screening Committee's recommendations. The department also highlighted an investment of over £20 million in prostate cancer research, including the TRANSFORM trial, aimed at finding optimal screening methods. The spokesperson added that the National Screening Committee is prepared to reassess its approach based on new evidence, striving to balance the benefits and risks of screening programs.