Sir Chris Hoy 'extremely disappointed' after national prostate cancer screening not recommended on NHS

Sir Chris Hoy has voiced his disappointment after mass screening for prostate cancer was not recommended for use on the NHS.

The National Screening Committee (NSC), comprised of doctors and economists, told the government that screening is "likely to cause more harm than good".

Its decision means the NHS is unlikely to offer mass screening for men over the age of 45.

In a draft recommendation, the committee said the reason it was "not recommending whole population screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is that is it likely to cause more harm than good".

Instead it proposes a targeted screening programme every two years for men with specific genetic mutations, known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, between the ages of 45 and 61.

But Sir Chris, who confirmed last year that his prostate cancer diagnosis was terminal, with doctors giving him two to four years to live, criticised the move.

The six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist, who said in February, 2024, he was undergoing treatment, said: "I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the recommendation announced by the National Screening Committee today to rule against national screening for men at high risk of prostate cancer.

"More than 12,000 men are dying of prostate cancer every year; it is now the UK's most common cancer in men with black men at double the risk, along with men with a family history, like myself.

"While introducing regular checks for men carrying the BRCA genes is a very small step forward it is not enough. I know, first hand, that by sharing my story following my own diagnosis two years ago, many, many lives have been saved.

"Early screening and diagnosis saves lives. I am determined to continue to use my platform to raise awareness, encourage open discussion, raise vital funds for further research and support, and to campaign for change."

His views were echoed by Lord David Cameron, who this month announced he was treated for prostate cancer last year.

Lord Cameron said in a post on X: "I am disappointed by today's recommendation on prostate cancer screening from the National Committee.

"Targeted screening is a natural first step - but the recommendation today is far too targeted, not including black men or men with a family history, both high-risk groups.

"Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among British men. We are letting down too many men if we don't push for a wider screening programme that includes all high-risk groups - and not just the men involved, but their families too, who risk losing a loved one unnecessarily. As I know all too well, prostate cancer can be symptomless early on.

"That's why screening is so essential - catching the cancers early when they can be more effectively and successfully treated, like in my own case."

Sir Tony Robinson, journalist Dermot Murnaghan and retired footballer Les Ferdinand also voiced their disappointment after the decision.

Sir Tony, 79, who starred as Baldrick in Blackadder, said: "I'm bitterly disappointed. Getting an early diagnosis for prostate cancer could save your life, but we still have no screening programme for it in the UK.

"I was lucky I found my cancer early, but nearly 10,000 men a year are diagnosed too late for a cure and that's just not right."

Broadcaster Mr Murnaghan, 67, added: "With prostate cancer cases higher than they've ever been, and the disease dominating the national conversation, I really thought we were heading to an exciting moment here.

"I'm so disappointed that the committee has decided not to recommend screening - it felt about time progress was made for men.

"Finding out I had incurable prostate cancer was devastating, but I'm heartened by all the support I've received, support which has emboldened me to do my bit to help save lives, mainly by encouraging men to find out their risk and get checked out early.

"Despite this moment not being what we'd hoped, I will keep fighting until we start to turn the tide on prostate cancer."

Mr Ferdinand, whose grandfather died from prostate cancer, added: "I've seen members of my family survive prostate cancer, because their cancer was found in time.

"Without a national screening programme, the responsibility to find prostate cancer early and in time for a cure rests entirely on men's shoulders, and it shouldn't be this way.

"Black men are at double the risk of prostate cancer and twice as likely to die, and something has to be done.

"It's unacceptable that outdated guidelines mean GPs can't talk to black men about their risk despite it being so high, and I'm backing Prostate Cancer UK's call to change that whilst we wait for the evidence to be there to support screening."

NSC added it did not recommend extensive screening for black men, who are at higher risk, due to a current lack of evidence and data.

The committee also does not recommend targeted screening for men with a family history of the disease, who are also at a higher risk of prostate cancer.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would consider the findings, adding that he wanted to see earlier diagnosis and quicker treatment, but that needed to be balanced against "the harms that wider screening could cause to men".

"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," he said.

Professor Sir Mike Richards, a former national cancer director and chairman of the NSC, told a briefing that modelling on PSA shows "whole population screening may lead to a small reduction in prostate cancer deaths, but the very high levels of overdiagnoses" means the harms outweigh the benefits.

Experts are also waiting to see data from a large trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK last week into whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, may lead to recommending population-wide screening.

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The trial is looking at the most promising screening techniques available, including PSA blood tests, genetic tests and 10-minute MRI scans, and whether they can be combined for a national screening programme.

The results will be ready within two years, it is hoped.

Mr Streeting added: "In the meantime, we will keep making progress on cutting cancer waiting times and investing in research into prostate cancer detection - in the last 12 months, 193,000 more patients received a diagnosis for suspected cancer on time.

"We are also providing funding to the £42m TRANSFORM trial, which has the potential to revolutionise prostate cancer screening, cutting out harmful side effects and making screening far more accurate."

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