BAUS welcomes Prostate Cancer Research screening report
15 October 2025
(Last updated: 15 Oct 2025 14:15)
Chair of BAUS Section of Oncology, Vish Hanchanale and BAUS President Prof. Ian Pearce
BAUS welcomes the recently published report from Prostate Cancer Research, released as part of their ‘It’s High Time to Screen’ campaign, which highlights that a targeted prostate cancer screening programme is both practical and affordable.
Vish Hanchanale and Ian Pearce, said:
Too many men are still diagnosed when their prostate cancer has already advanced, when it can be treated but not cured. A risk-based approach focusing on men at higher risk, particularly those of Black ethnicity and those with a family history, could change that. It offers the chance to save lives, reduce inequalities and ease the pressures on NHS services from late-stage disease.
The report highlights that such a targeted approach would:
- Costs the NHS around £25 million per year, equivalent to roughly 0.01% of the NHS budget, and £18 per eligible individual – broadly in line with national screening programmes for other cancers.
- Increase PSA testing, MRI scans and biopsies by approximately 23%, while requiring only a modest workforce expansion.
- Reduce long-standing inequalities affecting Black men, those with a family history of prostate cancer and communities with higher deprivation.
- Encourage adoption of innovation, including reflex blood tests, AI-enabled MRI, polygenic risk scores and digital pathology.
The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) will explore the projected costs, workforce implications and service capacity required to deliver such a programme safely and effectively. BAUS will work closely with stakeholders, including GPs, radiologists, oncologists, pathologists and specialist nurses, to ensure that resources, diagnostic pathways and workforce planning are in place to support any future targeted screening initiative.
BAUS also recognises the importance of educating men at higher risk to come forward for testing, helping overcome cultural and social barriers that currently delay diagnosis.
Ian Pearce and Vish Hanchanale, continued:
BAUS remains committed to working alongside the NHS, policymakers, charities and researchers to improve early diagnosis, reduce inequalities and support the safe and sustainable rollout of any future national prostate cancer screening initiative. Every father, brother, son and friend deserves the best possible chance of cure, and that begins with timely detection and equitable access to care.
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