‘Game changing’ prostate cancer screening trial recruits first patients

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By Storm Newton, PA Media

The first eligible men in the UK have been invited to join a major trial testing the most promising screening techniques for prostate cancer.

Health secretary Wes Streeting hailed the £42 million Transform project as a “game-changer”, with experts hopeful it could help save thousands of lives.

The study will compare various screening methods to current NHS diagnostic processes – which can include blood tests and biopsies.

The news comes as Lord David Cameron has revealed he was successfully treated for prostate cancer as he backed a targeted screening programme for the UK’s most common cancer in males.

The former prime minister was urged to get tested by his wife, Samantha, after the pair heard the founder of Soho House, Nick Jones, speaking about his experience with the cancer on the radio a year ago, the Times reported.

Some 16,000 men will be recruited for the first stages of the trial, which will assess prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests, genetic testing and a faster version of the MRI scan – known as a prostagram – against current NHS diagnostic methods to see which performs best.