While the NSC appears to have determined that a national, mass, population-based screening initaitive will not be put in place in the UK, it does still appear that individual patients will be able to request and obtain a PSA test to determine their personal risk for prostate cancer.
The BBC report quotes two key individuals in making this announcement:
The director of the screening committee, Dr. Anne Mackie said: “I am confident that this is the right decision. This advice is based on the latest research evidence, and informed by a range of groups including healthcare professionals and patient representatives.
“The NHS Cancer Screening Programme will continue to provide advice to help men who are concerned about prostate cancer to make informed decisions about their health.”
Professor Julietta Patnick, director of the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, said: “Men should speak to their GP if they have any concerns. Any man over the age of 50 who, after careful consideration of the implications, requests a PSA test should be given one.”
While some will feel that this is a poor decision, The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink believes that this is actually a correct decision. Currently available data simply do not justify the implementation of national, mass, PSA-based screening protocols, but we feel the PSA test should be available to any patient who believes he may be at elevated risk for prostate cancer, for whatever reason, preferably including those under the age of 50 who are at potentially high risk because of race or family history of clinically significant prostate cancer.
Although there is no information (as yet) on the web site of the UK’s National Screening Committee (NSC), a BBC News report has stated that the NSC has “recommended against a screening programme for prostate cancer, saying its potential harms would outweigh any benefits.”
While the NSC appears to have determined that a national, mass, population-based screening initaitive will not be put in place in the UK, it does still appear that individual patients will be able to request and obtain a PSA test to determine their personal risk for prostate cancer.
The BBC report quotes two key individuals in making this announcement:
The director of the screening committee, Dr. Anne Mackie said: “I am confident that this is the right decision. This advice is based on the latest research evidence, and informed by a range of groups including healthcare professionals and patient representatives.
“The NHS Cancer Screening Programme will continue to provide advice to help men who are concerned about prostate cancer to make informed decisions about their health.”
Professor Julietta Patnick, director of the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, said: “Men should speak to their GP if they have any concerns. Any man over the age of 50 who, after careful consideration of the implications, requests a PSA test should be given one.”
While some will feel that this is a poor decision, The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink believes that this is actually a correct decision. Currently available data simply do not justify the implementation of national, mass, PSA-based screening protocols, but we feel the PSA test should be available to any patient who believes he may be at elevated risk for prostate cancer, for whatever reason, preferably including those under the age of 50 who are at potentially high risk because of race or family history of clinically significant prostate cancer.