Dr Bernie Croal, College President, responding to NSC’s decision not to recommend whole-population screening of men for prostate cancer said:
`The College acknowledges the evidence based decision of the National Screening Committee (NSC) to recommend screening only in those men with BRCA 1 and 1 mutation.
With prostate cancer being one of the most common cancers affecting men globally, there is need for a robust approach to tackling a disease that affects more than 63,000 men in the UK alone per year. Black men face a higher rate of diagnosis and high grade disease (which means a tumour is likely to grow and spread faster) and men with a family history of prostate cancer are more at risk.
However an evidence based and targeted approach to improve prostate cancer outcomes without triggering a wave of overdiagnosis requires a nuanced approach.
We recognise that many men will be disappointed and even angry at this decision.
Screening for cancer is a highly complex activity which risks causing harm as well as benefits. Often the harms of late diagnosis are seen clearly while those of overdiagnosis are not well represented. We hope that the cutting edge UK trials such as TRANSFORM will shed further light on this decision which should be kept under review.'
The Royal College of Pathologists' view on prostate screening
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