A group of prominent figures, including television personality Jeremy Clarkson and actor Sir Stephen Fry, have urged the UK's Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to expand access to prostate cancer screening. The signatories, all of whom are prostate cancer survivors, have signed a letter calling for the reversal of a recent decision by the UK National Screening Committee to restrict screening.
The committee ruled in May that prostate cancer screening should be limited to approximately 1,500 men aged 45 to 61 who have a specific genetic mutation and a family history of an associated cancer. The letter argues this decision creates inequity, stating that "Everyone else at high risk doesn't have guaranteed access to a test that could save their life."
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Britain, with an estimated 63,000 new cases and 12,000 deaths annually. A significant number of diagnoses occur too late for effective treatment. Black men face double the lifetime risk compared to the general population, and men with a father or brother diagnosed with the disease also face a significantly higher threat.
The letter highlights that unless a man carries a specific genetic variant, access to testing often relies on a GP taking concerns seriously, a situation the signatories deem unacceptable. They implore Ms. Cooper to "change the story on prostate cancer and make a generational difference to men's health" by reconsidering the committee's recommendation and committing to a targeted national screening program.
The signatories advocate for immediate action, urging the government to "Act now, rather than wait a decade for further trial data while men continue to die. Ensure that risk, not luck, decides who is tested."
The letter also points to advancements in diagnostic technology, noting that MRI scans have improved the safety and accuracy of diagnosis. It contrasts the cost of early-stage prostate cancer treatment, estimated at £13,000, with the cost of late-stage treatment, which can reach £127,000. A targeted national screening program for high-risk individuals is estimated to cost £25 million per year, representing a small fraction of the NHS budget.
Separately, up to 10,000 men aged 45 to 74 are being offered a subsidized £99 prostate cancer test, the Stockholm3 test, which has shown to detect 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 the subsidized price, with an additional 2,000 offered the test for free. 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 stated that the previous guidance did not confer an absolute right to a test and that the final decision always rested with the GP. The department acknowledged the campaigners' efforts and stated it is implementing England's first targeted prostate screening program, alongside investing over £20 million in prostate cancer research and trials. The department also noted that the National Screening Committee continually reassesses its approach based on new evidence to balance the benefits and risks of screening programs.