Calls for National Prostate Cancer Screening Program

Brian Wernham, a Cumberland councillor currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, has called for increased awareness and testing among men, emphasizing that proactive health measures can save lives. Prostate Cancer UK supports the need for men over 50 to receive blood tests, but outdated guidelines hinder GPs from initiating these conversations. The Northampton Prostate Cancer Support Group recently held a screening event, offering Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests to help identify cancer early, with calls for a nationwide rollout to enhance early detection efforts. Additionally, charity Prostate Cancer Research advocates for lowering the screening age to 45 for high-risk individuals, following recommendations from Sir Chris Hoy, who was diagnosed at 48. The organization argues that a national screening program would address the lack of early detection, which contributes to over 12,000 deaths annually from prostate cancer in the UK. Current reliance on an 'informed choice' system is deemed insufficient, leading to late diagnoses, and the charity plans to present findings to the government to push for systematic changes.