The National Health Service (NHS) will not introduce a mass screening programme for prostate cancer after an independent committee concluded it is likely to cause more harm than good.
The National Screening Committee (NSC), a body of leading doctors and economists, delivered this draft recommendation to the government on Friday, 28 November 2025. This decision means a widespread screening offer for men over 45 is now highly unlikely.
Why Screening Was Deemed Too Harmful
In its detailed assessment, the committee focused on the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, the primary method for detecting the disease. The NSC stated that the reason for not recommending whole population screening is the high probability of overdiagnosis.
Professor Sir Mike Richards, the NSC chairman and a former national cancer director, explained that modelling shows while mass screening might lead to a small reduction in prostate cancer deaths, the very high levels of overdiagnoses tip the balance, making the potential harms outweigh the benefits. Overdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary, invasive treatments with significant side effects.
A New Targeted Approach Proposed
Instead of a blanket screening programme, the NSC is proposing a more focused strategy. It recommends a targeted screening programme every two years for men aged 45 to 61 who carry specific genetic mutations known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2.
However, the committee's draft guidance does not currently extend this targeted screening to other high-risk groups. It states there is not enough evidence to recommend extensive screening for Black men, who are known to be at higher risk. Similarly, it does not recommend targeted screening for men with a family history of the disease.
Government Response and Future Research
Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged the findings, stating he would consider them thoroughly. He emphasised the need to balance the desire for earlier diagnosis with the potential harms of wider screening.
I will examine the evidence and arguments in this draft recommendation thoroughly, bringing together those with differing views, ahead of the final recommendation in March, Mr Streeting said.
Hope for a future national programme now rests on ongoing research. Last week, Prostate Cancer UK launched a large trial investigating whether combining the PSA test with other methods, like rapid 10-minute MRI scans and genetic tests, could form the basis of an effective screening programme. The government is also providing funding to the £42m TRANSFORM trial, which aims to revolutionise prostate cancer detection. Results from these studies are expected within two years.
In the interim, the government highlighted progress on cancer waiting times, noting that in the last 12 months, 193,000 more patients received a timely diagnosis for suspected cancer.
