Key Facts

• The UK National Screening Committee advises most men should not have prostate cancer screening using the PSA test.
• Screening can cause side effects like incontinence and erectile dysfunction in men who do not need treatment.
• Men with the BRCA2 gene variant and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, or prostate cancers should be screened every two years from 45 to 61 years old.
• Prostate cancer is more common, appears earlier, and can be more aggressive in men with the BRCA2 variant.
• The committee did not recommend screening for other high-risk groups, such as black men, due to uncertainty about the benefits versus harms.
• The committee acknowledges PSA screening can reduce prostate cancer deaths slightly but does not improve overall survival.
• It is difficult to tell which prostate cancers need treatment and which do not, leading to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.
• The UKNSC plans to monitor the screening program and work with ongoing research trials, especially to understand risks for black men.