Rationing prostate cancer screenings means writing off thousands of men's lives, writes Nick Ferrari

Because that's how many men will die this year, if 2026 is in line with previous years, most of whom will have died needlessly.

Yes, TWELVE THOUSAND!

For the purpose of full disclosure, I have been an Ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK and chose to get more deeply involved after the death of Eddie Jordan, the brilliant Formula One boss who succumbed to the condition.

While I only knew Eddie briefly, he will never be forgotten for his verve and energy. And while he didn't make it, plenty of famous names have, including former PM David (now Lord) Cameron (more on his take on this decision later).

The UK National Screening Committee has ruled that "only a few thousand" men with a potential cancer-causing gene will be allowed regular checks. They cite too many false positives and also negatives clouding the entire issue.

But Lord Cameron has urged new Health Secretary James Murray to overrule the decision saying: "Put in place a proper, targeted screening programme that involves all those at higher risk.

"Without it, more men will die and more families will lose a loved one."

And he's right. Targeting is the key here, and to write off the lives of thousands of men in this fashion is beyond cruel.

This is not about throwing open the doors to mass testing without thought, planning or medical rigour. It is about recognising that some men are at far greater risk than others, and that modern medicine should surely be capable of identifying them before it is too late.

Men with a family history, black men, and those carrying genetic risk factors should not be left waiting for symptoms that often arrive only when the disease has already advanced. That is not prevention. That is gambling with lives.

We are constantly told the NHS must move from treating sickness to preventing it. Well, here is the test of whether anyone in power actually means it. Early detection saves lives, reduces the need for more aggressive treatment, and spares families the agony of watching someone they love decline from a disease that might have been caught sooner.

There is also a wider problem here, one that too many men know painfully well. Men are already reluctant to talk about prostate cancer, reluctant to get checked, and reluctant to make a fuss. Decisions like this risk sending precisely the wrong message: that unless you are in a very narrow category, you are on your own.

That cannot be right. James Murray should listen to Lord Cameron, listen to campaigners, listen to the families who have lost fathers, husbands, brothers and sons, and act.

Because behind that number, 12,000, are not statistics. They are lives.

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BIO

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