4 minutes Morag Idan

Statement on National Screening Committee decision

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Prostate Scotland recognises the significance of the National Screening Committee’s decision today to introduce targeted prostate cancer screening for men with confirmed BRCA2 gene variants and a relevant family history.

This is the first time any form of prostate cancer screening has been recommended in the UK. The recommendation applies to a relatively small group of men with a confirmed BRCA2 gene variant and a relevant family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.

Prostate Scotland will now review the Committee’s final recommendation and supporting evidence, including how higher-risk men outside the programme will be identified and supported in future.

Professor Alan McNeill, Founding Trustee of Prostate Scotland and Consultant Urological Surgeon, comments:

“Today’s decision represents progress towards prostate cancer screening for a clearly identifiable group of higher-risk men with BRCA2 gene variants and a relevant family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.

“However, many other men at increased risk of prostate cancer, including men with a strong family history of the disease, such as a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer, and Black men, remain outside a structured pathway for earlier detection.

“This means that screening limited to men with BRCA2 gene variants and a relevant family history is unlikely to substantially reduce the number of men diagnosed with or dying from prostate cancer in Scotland.

“For most men, this recommendation will not change how they access testing. Many higher-risk men will still not be invited into a screening programme and will continue to rely on understanding their personal risk, discussing this with their GP and accessing a PSA test based on their individual circumstances.

“Through our PSA in Practice guidance for primary care, we are supporting more consistent decision-making around PSA testing, particularly for men at higher risk where access can vary.”

Prostate Scotland has developed PSA in Practice, a quick-reference guide for primary care teams across Scotland. The resource is designed to support GPs and practice staff in having informed conversations about PSA testing, particularly for men at higher risk, helping to improve consistency in how testing is offered and discussed in everyday practice.

One of the major challenges in developing wider prostate cancer screening programmes is identifying and inviting higher-risk groups consistently through existing NHS systems. Men with confirmed BRCA2 gene variants are among the few groups currently identifiable through established genetics pathways, which is one of the reasons the Committee’s recommendation is currently limited to this group.

 

Key facts about today’s NSC recommendation

  • The NSC has recommended a targeted screening programme only for men with a confirmed BRCA2 variant and a relevant family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.
  • Screening will take place every two years for eligible men aged 45 to 61.
  • The Committee has not recommended screening for the wider population.
  • The Committee has not recommended screening for other high-risk groups, including men with a family history of prostate cancer and Black men, due to current evidence gaps and the inability to reliably identify and invite these groups through national systems.
  • This is the first time the NSC has recommended any form of prostate cancer screening.

 

For more information, visit www.prostatescotland.org.uk

For more information, please contact:

Julie Fraser, Holler PR on 07834 708611 / julie@hollerpr.co.uk

 

About Prostate Scotland

  • Prostate Scotland is a Scottish charity set up to provide information, advice and support on prostate health and diseases, tests and treatments.
  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting 1 in 10 men in Scotland. Nearly 1 in 2 men in Scotland will be affected by prostate disease at some stage of their lives.
  • The charity’s mission is to inform, educate, support, campaign and advance understanding of prostate disease in Scotland.
  • It currently receives no government or local authority assistance and generates its own income, receives donations from fundraising and support from voluntary sources.