Prostate cancer has now become the most prevalent cancer across the UK, new analysis reveals, surpassing breast cancer as the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease.
Figures compiled by the charity Prostate Cancer UK show that 64,425 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, compared with 61,640 cases of breast cancer, which had previously held the top spot.
This marks a significant 24 per cent increase in diagnoses from the previous year, when 51,823 men were identified with the condition.
While prostate cancer officially became the most common cancer in England last January, newly released data from Scotland, alongside existing figures from Wales and Northern Ireland, has now provided a comprehensive UK-wide picture.
The charity attributes a 42 per cent rise in diagnoses over the past decade to heightened awareness campaigns by charities, the NHS, and high-profile individuals.
In response to these escalating figures, Prostate Cancer UK is advocating for the NHS to implement wider screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.
The organisation is also conducting a major clinical trial, with results anticipated within two years, to assess whether combining the PSA test with other diagnostic methods, such as rapid MRI scans, could lead to a recommendation for population-wide screening for all men.
However, a draft recommendation issued in December by the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC), which advises the government, stated that prostate cancer screening should not be routinely offered to the vast majority of men in the UK.
The committee explicitly advised against population screening using the PSA test, arguing it “is likely to cause more harm than good.”
Instead, the UKNSC recommended screening only men with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations, who face a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer, every two years between the ages of 45 and 61.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has expressed surprise at this decision and is currently reviewing the findings.
The UKNSC’s recommendation has drawn criticism from several prominent figures who have been diagnosed with the disease, including Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy, former prime minister Lord David Cameron, broadcaster Sir Stephen Fry, and actor Sir Tony Robinson.
While Prostate Cancer Research supports increased screening, Cancer Research UK aligns with the screening committee’s decision. Prostate Cancer UK voiced its disappointment but affirmed its commitment to overturning the decision through further research and evidence.
Chiara De Biase, director of health services, equity and improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, commented on the latest data: “We’re hugely proud to have played our part in the growing awareness of prostate cancer, which has led to more men than ever being diagnosed and treated.
“But it’s unacceptable that the full weight of responsibility still falls on men to understand their risk and talk to their GP about the pros and cons of a PSA test.
“Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, but despite this, men are facing deeply unfair inequities across the country, and their experiences vary hugely based on where they live.
“We urgently need an early detection programme that will address these regional inequities. My message to men today is, find 30 seconds to do Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker.
“It’s free, anonymous and in a few quick questions you will understand your risk and your rights like the four million men who have already taken it. Knowing your risk could save your life.”
Sir Chris Hoy added: “Prostate cancer is curable if found early. That’s why it’s vital we get the message out to men to think about their risk and to talk to their GP about a simple blood test to check.
“That way we’ll get more men with prostate cancer diagnosed earlier, and we’ll save thousands more lives. What we need now is action to change the system, to enable more men to be diagnosed earlier and stop them getting the news I got.
“We need GPs to be able to proactively speak to men at highest risk, for example men with a family history like me, or black men, and discuss the PSA blood test to check for signs of cancer at an earlier stage. It shouldn’t be only men’s responsibility to make these potentially lifesaving conversations happen.”
Analysis by Prostate Cancer UK further highlights significant disparities, showing that men residing in areas of higher deprivation are 29 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with disease that has already spread, compared to those in more affluent areas.
Although Scotland has seen an increase in diagnoses, men there are more prone to being diagnosed with prostate cancer at a later stage (31 per cent) than their counterparts in England (21 per cent).
The charity contends that “outdated” NHS guidelines currently prevent GPs from proactively engaging with men at the highest risk of prostate cancer to discuss their risk and offer a PSA test.
The reliability of the PSA test remains a point of contention among experts; some argue it is not dependable, as men with high PSA levels may not have cancer, while others with cancer may show normal PSA results.
A positive test, they warn, could lead to unnecessary treatment for slow-growing or harmless tumours, potentially causing serious side-effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Conversely, other experts maintain that current evidence strongly supports much wider testing.
