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Prostate Cancer Screening Programme – A Must Read for All Men

22nd December 2022

 

The PSA blood test is developing all the time, and globally, there has been a shift in how scientists and clinicians are viewing the PSA test for symptomless men. This report from Prostate Cancer UK highlights The European Commission call for prostate cancer screening in men up to 70 on the basis of PSA testing, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning employed as the follow-up if required.

It is believed the current diagnostic pathway, including mpMRI, targeted biopsy and transperineal biopsy, has reduced the harms of over-diagnosis, with evidence showing that over-treatment rates have also reduced with active surveillance chosen more consistently by men with low and low/intermediate risk localised prostate cancer.

Our Trustee and Professor and Clinical Director of Urology at the Royal Surrey, Stephen Langley said that the Stokes Centre is leading the way in this screening, with NHS England showing their confidence and support to the tune of £500,000 funding.

Talk Prostate is a pilot scheme being run in a partnership between the Surrey and Sussex NHS Cancer Alliance (SSCA) and virtual NHS healthcare provider, Medefer. To date 500 at risk men have been invited for a PSA test, and the plan is for over 24,000 PSA tests to be conducted over the next two years in the Surrey and Sussex region.

Men will also be able to self refer via the Talk Prostate website. The ‘Man Van’ is the next stage in this scheme, giving men more opportunities and options of when and where to get their test, as well as providing drop-in opportunities, another reason why the team can’t wait to get the van on the road!

Phew, that’s a lot of science to pack in but I know how many of you appreciate this level of detail.