The first men have been tested as part of a landmark UK trial into the future of prostate cancer screening.
The Transform trial could produce results and lead to lifesaving changes in as little as two years.
Experts hope it will inform the future of population-wide prostate cancer screening for men by seeing which tests – such as genetic tests or 10-minute MRI scans – can be combined.
It comes as the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC), which advises ministers, is due to publish its final guidance this week on screening men for the disease.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with 63,000 cases and 12,000 deaths each year – but unlike breast, bowel and lung cancer, there is currently no national screening programme.
In a draft recommendation last year, the UKNSC only recommended screening men with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations every two years, between the ages of 45 and 61.
It would not recommend population screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test because it may result in too many men undergoing unnecessary biopsies or surgery for tumours that would never have caused them harm in their lifetime.
However, a review by York Health Economics Consortium has found the model used by the UKNSC relied on outdated data, diagnosis methods and treatments; failed to account for the impact of a coordinated screening programme on the UK’s existing testing landscape; and did not address serious population health inequalities.
One of the first people tested in the new Transform trial is Jaroslaw Galik, 55, from London.
Analysis of contemporary MRI-led screening studies suggests that the model cited by the UKNHS may have substantially overstated the harms up seven-fold.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was surprised by the UKNSC’s draft recommendation and vowed to consider the views of charities and other experts before making a final decision.
The UKNSC has also agreed to review any new evidence from the Transform trial.
One of the first people tested in the new Transform trial is Jaroslaw Galik, 55, from London.
He and other men attended the InHealth community diagnostic centre in Ealing, west London, for a combination of PSA blood tests, fast MRI scans and/or genetic spit tests to find the safest and most effective way to detect the cancer.
Mr Galik said: ‘I’d heard a bit about prostate cancer over the years and had always thought I should probably speak to my GP, but I never actually got round to doing anything about it.
‘There isn’t that routine screening programme, so it just wasn’t something that felt urgent.
‘When the letter about Transform came through, I realised this was a straightforward way to check my own risk while also contributing to something bigger.
‘If taking part helps move us closer to having a proper screening programme in the future, so men are just invited by their GP like they are for other cancers, that would make such a difference.
‘To think that just by taking a couple of tests I could be helping to finally get to screening and save thousands of lives is incredible.’
The Daily Mail is campaigning to end needless prostate cancer deaths and for a national prostate cancer screening programme, initially targeted at high risk men, such as those who are black, have a family history of the disease or particular genetic mutations.
Laura Kerby, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘Men across the country are crying out for a screening programme and we’re committed to building a future where every man gets that chance.
‘We know that a safe and effective mass screening programme could save thousands of men’s lives and it starts with these men walking through the door today and trialling these tests.
‘They’re helping to build a future where prostate cancer is found early, consistently and fairly, and where no man’s diagnosis is left to chance.’
Mr Streeting said: ‘Transform is the most ambitious prostate cancer research programme in a generation and I’m proud the Government is backing it.
‘The evidence it generates will be crucial in shaping how we screen for this disease for decades to come.’
At first, the trial, funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will test new techniques against current NHS methods.
The next stage takes the best methods forward to testing in a group of up to 300,000 men.
Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the Department of Health and chief executive officer of the NIHR, said: ‘Welcoming the first men to this trial is a huge moment.
‘Transform aims to tackle one of the biggest killers.’
