MEN are being urged to check their risk of prostate cancer, as NHS advisers prepare to make a landmark decision this week on testing.
There are currently no routine scans for the disease, but checking if you are at risk only takes seconds online.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of tumour in men, with 55,000 cases every year in the UKCredit: Getty
Prostate cancer kills 12,000 men every year in the UKCredit: Getty
is the most common form of tumour in men, with 55,000 cases every year in the UK, and second only to breast cancer overall.
Men who are middle-aged, black, or have a dad or brother who had the cancer are among the most at risk.
Those in working class areas are more likely to miss an early diagnosis, and cures are more likely in southern England than the North.
Darts legend has campaigned, after his father-in-law was diagnosed, along with other big names including former Spurs player Graham Roberts, ex Wasps winger and cyclist .
this week revealed he has been and said: “This is something we’ve really got to talk about.”
The UK National Screening Committee is due to meet on Thursday to discuss whether high-risk men should be offered regular blood tests to check their prostate health.
It could become a , like those the NHS offers for breast, bowel, cervical and lung cancers.
Charities want a “yes” vote on screening for men over 45 who are black, have a family history of prostate cancer, or have a BRCA gene mutation.
Any one of those factors doubles your risk of developing the illness.
Two patients have told Sun Health the should offer men more help to catch cancer early — after their very different experiences.
Desmond Reid, 67, from London, had treatment after catching his tumour early, while it was small.
He said: “I was shocked but my doctor said it’s nothing to worry about, we can treat that, it’s not going to kill you.
“I am so pleased I got tested — this is the way it should work.”
Darren Abramson, 45, from Hull, was less fortunate — his cancer was not spotted until it was too late to cure.
At 42 he was denied a test by his GP, despite symptoms such as being unable to pass urine.
The former Royal Marine said he would have been diagnosed late even if there was a screening programme, due to his age.
Now take a few seconds to check your risk online
Scan this QR code to calculate your risk in seconds
PROSTATE Cancer UK has teamed up with Paddy Power to urge 180,000 men to use the charity’s risk checker online, during the World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace.
To calculate your risk in seconds, scan the QR code and use the charity’s risk tool at the link below.
“A screening programme would probably have missed me, but the consequences of not doing it are desperate.
“There’s a big argument for not letting perfect be the enemy of good.
“I think there are enough people like myself at a younger age that there is a need for it.”
A huge step has already been made on the road to routine testing this week, as Imperial College London to compare screening tests.
The Transform trial of 16,000 men will look at results from different combinations of blood and saliva tests and MRI scans to find out which perform best.
The screening decision is on a knife-edge. Doctors do not want to treat every prostate cancer case as some grow so slowly they are not dangerous.
But the case in favour of a targeted programme is simply that saves lives.
Prostate cancer kills 12,000 men every year in the UK.
Only half of cases are spotted in the early stages.
‘TOO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY’
Between 12 and 20 per cent are diagnosed after cancer has spread elsewhere, making a cure unlikely.
Chiara De Biase, of Prostate Cancer UK, said: “There are 12,000 men every year who are diagnosed too late for a cure and we want to shift them out of a stage four diagnosis into the curative space, which is somewhere in stage two or stage three.”
Checking for prostate typically begins with a blood test for a marker called the prostate-specific antigen, also known as a PSA test.
A high reading can indicate the prostate is unusually large, which could be a sign of cancer — although it may also be benign or the result of an infection.
A man with a suspicious PSA result may then be referred for an MRI scan.
If diagnosed, the disease may be treated with radiotherapy, surgery or drugs — or, doctors decide to watch and wait to see how the cancer grows, rather than risk the side effects of treatment, which can include incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Experts say it is “outdated” that tests are often only given to men who have cancer symptoms, or who specifically ask their GP for a test.
They say it puts too much responsibility on the patient.
Wider has been rejected in the past because the PSA test was too unreliable.
It may flag tiny or slow-growing cancers, or be triggered by non-cancer conditions, leading to unnecessary worry.
Former Prime Minister David Cameron this week revealed he has been treated for the diseaseCredit: Alamy
Darts legend Luke Humphries has campaigned for screening, after his father-in-law was diagnosedCredit: prostatecanceruk.org
British Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023Credit: Getty
In the past, patients with a positive PSA test were often sent straight for a biopsy.
That involves a needle being inserted through the perineum and comes with a risk of sepsis.
But MRI scans mean doctors can determine if a patient actually needs a biopsy.
If they do, the scan helps guide doctors to the potential tumour, lowering the risk of infection.
So concerns about the accuracy of PSA are less relevant than in the past, and the risks of harm from screening are lower.
David James, of Prostate Cancer Research, said: “Before, we didn’t have as much evidence of the transformative effect that adding MRI scans has had.”
is likely to instruct the NHS to act immediately upon the screening committee’s recommendation.
But it’s not just lives at stake — the committee must also consider value for money for the NHS.
‘UNACCEPTABLE’
In a report published last month, Prostate Cancer Research estimated a targeted scheme would cost the NHS £25million per year.
Polling from Healthwatch England suggests 80 per cent of men would support screening for prostate cancer.
A large European study published in October suggested that for all men over the age of 50 — a much larger group than currently being considered by the UK — could slash deaths by 13 per cent.
Should the committee decide “no” this week, Mr James said: “I would be shocked and disappointed.
“I think the evidence is now clear.
“These men are at this heightened risk, and we’re currently not doing anything about it — this is our opportunity.”
Chiara De Biase added that Prostate Cancer UK would also be “deeply disappointed”.
“It’s inconceivable to think that there would be no recommendation for anything after we waited three years for this,” she says.
“That would be an unacceptable place to land.”
‘YOU REALISE WHAT MATTERS’
WHEN physiotherapist Darren Abramson had difficulty urinating in 2023, he went to see his GP.
As he was a fit 42-year-old it was assumed it was just an enlarged prostate, despite the fact his father died of prostate cancer aged 71.
Darren Abramson was deemed too young and fit for prostate cancer testingCredit: Supplied
When symptoms worsened seven months later, Darren paid for private tests, which revealed he had incurable prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
He was given less than five years to live.
Darren, a dad-of-two, 45, says: “I don’t plan to die anytime soon, but I don’t fear it.
“You realise what is truly important and what isn’t.”
‘I FEEL A BIT OF A FRAUD’
DESMOND REID, 67, survived unscathed after an early prostate cancer diagnosis.
The Londoner found out he had the disease in 2022, after asking his GP for a PSA test despite feeling fine, and had his slow-growing tumour removed.
Desmond Reid’s early prostate cancer diagnosis means he survived unscathedCredit: Supplied
Des says: “I expected it because my brother had it diagnosed in 2018.
” One in four black men will get it, and if it’s in the family, it is one in two.
“One of the problems is that men are not as used to having medical tests as women and they bury their heads in the sand.
“You’ve got to educate yourself.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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