Men aged 50-69 from 400 GP surgeries are currently taking part in the project.

But the charity Cancer Research UK has applied for permission to include another 400 surgeries in the scheme.

The disease is the most common cancer among UK men, but universal screening may not be cost effective.

A blood test to detect raised levels of a protein called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is available, but only on request, and on the advice of a GP.

The new trial will finally reveal whether screening the population for prostate cancer can save lives Professor Alex Markham

Some people believe universal screening would detect many more cases of men who have early signs of prostate cancer.

However, there is concern that the cost of the scheme would outweigh the potential benefits.

The trial, known as ProtecT (prostate testing for cancer treatment) was originally launched in 2001.

Men taking part in the scheme are offered a PSA test to determine whether they have signs of early prostate cancer.

Those that do, are offered radiotherapy or surgery, or simply monitored very closely to determine whether further action is necessary.

Scientists hope that the data gathered from the study will determine just how important it is to catch the disease in its early stages - and whether the cost of screening the whole population could be justified.

They believe that is permission is granted to extend the number of men taking part in the trial, the results will be even stronger.

Professor Alex Markham, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "There are few international issues in health care as controversial as prostate cancer screening.

"But the high quality research needed to answer the debate has been lacking until now.

"The new trial will finally reveal whether screening the population for prostate cancer can save lives and if the benefits of screening out-weigh the costs."

Success predicted

Launching a report into the work of the charity on Monday, Professor Markham predicted improved detection, treatment and prevention strategies would see death rates from cancer fall over the next decade.

In particular, he focused on four of the most common forms of the disease - prostate, bowel, breast and cervical cancer.

He said: "This is an exciting time to be a cancer researcher. We are developing new therapies which will revolutionise the way patients are treated in the future, new screening methods to detect early stage disease and investing more time and energy into helping to prevent the disease occurring in the first place."

Professor Markham predicted the extension of the national breast screening programme to include women up to the age of 70 would save an extra 600 lives a year.

Similarly, improvements in cervical cancer screening would see the number of women prevented from developing the disease reach an all-time high.

He also predicted that the proposed implementation of a national bowel cancer screening programme could prevent 5,000 cases of the disease each year in the UK.