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Fears cancer screening will overlook high-risk groups

Graham Rogers,BBC Radio Wiltshireand
Sophia Allsopp,West of England
News imageJohn Copsey John Copsey stands beneath a dark green tent on which the words "Cotswold Prostate Cancer Support Group" appear in yellow. Mr. Copsey wears a dark coloured polo shirt and blue jeans. There are banners containing information n Prostate Cancer to his right and left.John Copsey
Chairman of the Cotswold Prostate Cancer Support Group John Copsey said many men would be unaware of their genetic status unless the NHS actively identified them

Prostate cancer campaigners have raised concerns that a draft recommendation to limit routine screening only to certain patients will leave many high-risk groups unprotected.

John Copsey, from the Cotswold Prostate Cancer Support Group was speaking to Graham Rogers on BBC Radio Wiltshire following the UK National Screening Committee's announcement.

He said expectations had been higher after months of national review: "It's not what our group was hoping for."

He highlighted long-established evidence that Black men and men with a family history face significantly elevated risk of prostate cancer and questioned why they were not included in the plan.

News imageGetty Images A man with short brown hair and a light yellow T-shirt under an open denim shirt sits on the left of the image, watching as a doctor demonstrates the location of the prostate on a tablet. The doctor, wearing blue scrubs, a white medical coat, black-rimmed glasses and a stethoscope, holds the tablet while explaining the image.Getty Images
Campaigners say the draft plan leaves many men unaware of their true risk

It comes after an expert committee suggested mass testing could cause more harm than good - even for those at high risk, including black men and those with a family history

Mr. Copsey also said many men would be unaware of their genetic status unless the NHS actively identified them.

"How is any man in the street going to know that they've got the BRCA gene? Will they be called in or do they have to go and have a test to check what their gene is?"

Dave Sheppard, from the Swindon Prostate Cancer Support Group, said the decision had generated immediate disappointment among members.

"It's going to miss an awful lot of people," he explained.

He noted that the committee's position remains provisional and that campaigners intend to respond before the consultation closes.

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