Star Comment: Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to prostate cancer

Only a few thousand men in high-risk categories should be tested for prostate cancer, says a new report to the Government, marking a significant about-turn from previous advice.

The UK National Screening Committee now warns that over-diagnosis as a result of attempting to test the disease through routine blood tests is ‘likely to cause more harm than good’.

Committee chairman, Prof Sir Mike Richards, said while routine screening reduced deaths ‘to a small extent’, he said many of the cancers were harmless, and unnecessary treatments could cause long-lasting harm.

This is a notable change from a draft recommendation that the committee made in November last year.

If experts believe that focusing on patients who are at risk is more effective than trying to detect every case, then we have to defer to their superior knowledge. However, we trust that the Department for Health will take great care in weighing up all the evidence before arriving at a decision, and will keep the matter under review should fresh information emerge to the contrary.

It is better to be safe than sorry.