'Missed opportunity' as government rejects call for mass prostate cancer screening

The health secretary has decided only a few thousand men at high risk of getting prostate cancer will be offered targeted screening for the disease.

James Murray said he was "following the science" after the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) concluded that offering it to more people could do "more harm than good".

Men with the BRCA2 genetic mutation, which means they have a far higher risk of prostate cancer, will now get a test every two years between the ages of 45 and 61.

To be eligible, they must also have a family history of prostate, breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer.

Campaigners - who had urged the government to reject the committee's advice - called it a missed opportunity to save lives.

Some wanted it offered to all men over 45, or to other groups with an increased risk, such as black men and those with a family history of the disease.

They argued many men are dying unnecessarily because their disease is going undiagnosed until it's too late.

Under the new approach, it's estimated a "few thousand" men in England with the genetic mutation will be offered the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test.

The UKNSC said a wider programme would mean some men having unnecessary treatment, such as having their prostate removed, potentially leading to problems like urinary incontinence.

Famous names, including Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Stephen Fry, Tony Robinson, and journalist Dermot Murnaghan, all criticised last year's recommendation.

A PSA test can detect some cancers, but cannot detect those that are slow growing and would never cause a serious problem. It can also give false positives.

"We're following the science to make sure men get earlier answers and better care, and to avoid doing unnecessary harm," said the health secretary on Tuesday.

While the new policy tightly limits who can get routine screening, Mr Murray also announced a £20m investment that will see far more black men invited to take part in the Transform research trial.

Prostate Cancer UK said the study would help tackle inequalities and ultimately benefit all men, but admitted the government decision was "disappointing" and a "blow to thousands of men across the UK".

Transform is aiming to find the best ways to identify prostate cancer, using combinations of PSA tests, MRI scans and genetic spit tests.

Dr Ian Walker, Cancer Research UK's policy director, said the health secretary's decision was consistent with the evidence but admitted it would be "disappointing for some".

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More than 10,000 men die from prostate cancer every year in England, and campaigners who backed a mass screening programme criticised the decision made on Tuesday.

Nick Jones, founder of Soho House and a prostate cancer survivor, said it "entrenches" injustices.

"To rubber stamp this recommendation into government policy is not caution - it is a dereliction of duty that will cost lives," he said.

Former prime minister David Cameron, who's also been treated for prostate cancer, posted on X: "This was an opportunity for bold, decisive, life-saving action - action that would help save the heartache of too many families losing a loved one to this disease. That, sadly, has been missed."

Despite no large-scale screening programme for now, men can still request a PSA test from their GP if they think they have symptoms of the disease.

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Missed opportunity' as government rejects call for mass prostate cancer screening