Thousands more black men will be invited to take part in a prostate cancer screening trial as the health secretary insisted he was “following the science” in not backing population-wide testing.
James Murray accepted a recommendation from the UK national screening committee (UKNSC) that will result in only a few thousand high-risk men with a gene mutation being screened for the disease.
However, he announced funding to expand the Transform trial, which is exploring the best ways to test for the disease, to ensure it includes more black men.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in the UK, with more than 64,000 men diagnosed every year.
Last week, the UKNSC recommended against screening all men using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test, saying it was “likely to cause more harm than good”.
Instead, men with BRCA2 genetic mutations – which puts them at far higher risk – will be tested every two years between the ages of 45 and 61 if they have a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancers.
Prostate cancer is more common, develops earlier and can be more aggressive in this group.
Of 100 men with a BRCA2 variant, between 21 and 35 of them will develop prostate cancer before the age of 80.
As a result, it is estimated that a “few thousand” men will be screened each year.
Dr Ian Walker, director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said the decision would be “disappointing for some” but was in line with evidence as there was some debate over the reliability of the PSA test.
The UKNSC also recommended against screening for other at-risk groups, including black men, saying there is “ongoing uncertainty on whether screening would cause more good than harm”.
The programme is expected to be rolled out in 2027.
Murray accepted the recommendations on Tuesday and announced a £20m investment into prostate cancer research and treatment which includes funding to expand the Transform trial.
It is estimated that one in 10 patients invited to take part in stage one of the study were black.
For stage two of the trial, black men living in the UK aged between 45 and 74 will be eligible, as long as they have not had a PSA test or MRI scan in the last five years.
Nick Jones, founder of private members’ club Soho House and a prostate cancer survivor and campaigner, accused the government of accepting a recommendation that “entrenches” injustices.
He said: “The current system is unfair and behind the times. Instead of addressing that injustice, the government has simply accepted a recommendation that entrenches it.
“Campaigners and community representatives have been trying to engage with the UKNSC for months and have been dismissed.
“To rubber-stamp this recommendation into government policy is not caution – it is a dereliction of duty that will cost lives.”
The deputy prime minister, David Lammy, said: “Tackling prostate cancer is personal for me. I’ve got two brothers living with the disease, and I’ve seen first-hand the toll it takes on individuals and their loved ones.
“Helping more black men take part in this research is about saving lives, closing deadly inequalities and making sure we understand what works best for those most at risk.”
