Key points from article :
Researchers combined the results of clinical trials and real-world data on the “prostate cancer screening pathway” and assessed the risk-to-harm benefit.
Prostate cancer screening has potential harms including side effects from biopsies and unnecessary testing for cancer-free people.
Their analysis looked at the impact new scans and safer biopsies had on reducing unnecessary harm to patients.
Prostate Cancer UK said that on average 67% fewer men experienced harm during diagnosis with newer techniques than older methods.
For every 10,000 men who had a PSA - prostate-specific antigen test, 646 would go through diagnostic pathway with no diagnosis of prostate cancer.
A maximum of 38 men would suffer clinical side effects from their biopsy.
Matthew Hobbs, lead researcher, said: “Even this modern pathway needs to be improved, and Prostate Cancer UK is committed to funding the research needed to save as many lives as possible.”
Ros Eeles, professor of oncogenetics at the Institute of Cancer Research, said: “It shows us a rationale for the way forward to implementing a prostate screening programme in the UK."
