What is prostate cancer and why was screening programme rejected?

After much deliberation, the government advisory committee announced on Friday afternoon that the prostate specific antigen test is “likely to cause more harm than good".

The news follows former prime minister Lord David Cameron announcing that he was treated for prostate cancer, having been encouraged by his wife, Samantha, to get tested for the illness.

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It means that proposals for the nationwide screening programme for men most at risk will not be carried out, unless the government decides to intervene.

This is what it all means.

What is prostate cancer?

The prostate, a small gland beneath the bladder, helps to produce semen and it is there that cancer cells grow for this type of the disease.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men and usually develops slowly over many years.

Symptoms of prostate cancer do not usually appear until the prostate is large enough to affect the urethra, which is the tube carrying urine from the bladder out of the penis.

Around 55,000 men are diagnosed with the disease in the UK every year.

Symptoms include:

• Needing to urinate more often,
• Feeling as though the bladder is not empty,
• Straining when urinating

Scientists do not know the exact causes of cancer but they do know that some factors increase the risk, such as age, family history, other health conditions, and lifestyle factors.

It is most common in men over the age of 50.

What was the proposal to treat men with prostate cancer?

There is currently no screening programme because of concerns about the accuracy of prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting received a letter from a cross-party group of MPs who said the current system is "unstructured, inefficient and unfair,' with those in the most deprived areas more likely to die from the disease.

Because of this, the UK NSC was then assessed whether or not a national screening programme should be rolled out.

This proposed screening for men aged 45-70.

But on Friday afternoon, they decided that they would not go ahead.

Why has the screening programme been ruled out?

The UK NSC stated in a draft recommendation that the main reason for not recommending population screening was that the PSA test was likely to "cause more harm than good".

Professor Sir Mike Richards, a former national cancer director and chairman of the UK NSC, told a briefing that modelling on PSA shows that “whole population screening may lead to a small reduction in prostate cancer deaths, but the very high levels of over-diagnosis”, meaning the harms outweigh the benefits.

It means testing for men aged 45 to 70 will not be rolled out, unless the Government decide to intervene.

However, experts are awaiting results from a major study launched by Prostate Cancer UK last week, which is investigating whether combining PSA testing with other tools – such as rapid MRI scans – could eventually support population-wide screening.

It’s hoped that the results of this will be ready within two years.

What will happen now?

The committee has recommended a targeted screening programme every two years for men aged 45–61 who have BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants, which is subject to consultation.

It remains to be seen if the government will intervene.

What if I have symptoms?

The NHS says men should see a GP if "you're having trouble peeing or other symptoms of prostate cancer" or are in one of the groups at risk and are worried.

Guidance states: "Symptoms do not always mean you have prostate cancer.

"You can also get some of these symptoms if you have an enlarged prostate, a non-cancerous condition caused by the prostate getting larger as you get older."