Oxfordshire group to push for wider prostate cancer screening
The support group say they will be pressing local MPs following the rejection of mass prostate cancer screening
The Oxfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group is asking local MPs to push for expanded screening for prostate cancer after recommendations from the National Screening Committee they believe fell short.
Currently, the committee has proposed a screening programme focused only on men with specific genetic faults, but the group, chaired by Keith Jenkins, is advocating for a broader scope.
Keith said: “What we hope for would be that they would include men with a family history of prostate cancer, and also black men, who have a one in four chance of developing prostate cancer.”
He highlighted the importance of screening to detect prostate cancer early, when it is most treatable, but also because symptoms can easily go undetected.
“We've had people within the support group who have gone to the doctor because they had back pain and after a thorough investigation, part of which was a PSA test, it showed they had a raised level,” Keith said. “But there was no other way in which they could know that there was something wrong.”
While acknowledging the limitations of the PSA test, which can overdiagnose or underdiagnose cases, Keith cited a study by Deloitte that suggests focused screening programmes for high-risk groups could be manageable.
The support group will now focus on engaging local leaders, “The main thing we are able to do is press the local Members of Parliament to take up the issue,” Keith said. “I'm glad to say that several among the Oxfordshire MPs are already openly expressing that their support for a developed screening programme.”
They plan to continue advocacy efforts during the consultation phase ahead of a final decision in March 2024.