Government announces over £20 million to improve prostate cancer research and treatment, including improving access to a major trial for Black men.
Men at highest risk of prostate cancer will benefit from research to find the best screening strategy and more treatment choices under a major new £20 million package announced on Tuesday 2 June.
A landmark prostate cancer screening trial will be expanded so that for the first time, all eligible Black men will be invited to take part. The TRANSFORM study – jointly funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) – is testing the best ways to detect prostate cancer earlier and save more lives, while avoiding unnecessary treatment and the associated harms.
The move recognises that Black men face a higher risk of prostate cancer and aims to build the evidence needed to find the best screening strategy and tackle long-standing inequalities.
To ensure the expansion reaches Black men from all communities, supported by the funding from NIHR, the TRANSFORM investigators are working with Prostate Cancer UK to boost community engagement around the country and encourage Black men to take part in the trial.
The Secretary of State will also host a roundtable alongside the Deputy Prime Minister with representatives of local community organisations – supported by Prostate Cancer UK and the NIHR – this week to hear directly from community organisations about their work supporting Black men to be part of this research.
The government is also broadening access to focal therapies. These are less invasive treatments that target prostate cancer, giving men greater choice about their options when they receive a new diagnosis.
Alongside this, the government have accepted a recommendation from the independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) to introduce England’s first targeted prostate cancer screening programme.
Men who carry the BRCA2 gene variant and have a family history of prostate, breast, pancreatic or ovarian cancer will be offered a PSA test every two years between the ages of 45 and 61. The final recommendation follows a public consultation that received nearly 1000 responses, with the programme expected to be rolling out in 2027.
Health and Social Care Secretary, James Murray said: This is a major step forward in how we tackle prostate cancer – focusing on those most at risk, improving the treatments available, and backing the research we need to close the evidence gaps and save lives.
We’re following the science to make sure men get earlier answers and better care, and to avoid doing unnecessary harm.
By investing in research through trials such as TRANSFORM, we’re building a fairer, more effective prostate cancer screening system for the futures
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, said: Tackling prostate cancer is personal for me. I’ve got two brothers living with the disease, and I’ve seen firsthand the toll it takes on individuals and their loved ones.
Helping more Black men take part in this research is about saving lives, closing deadly inequalities and making sure we understand what works best for those most at risk.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said: Expansion of the TRANSFORM trial to all eligible Black men is a massive step forward in strengthening the evidence to find the best, most effective and safest ways to screen those at highest risk of prostate cancer.
The investigator team will continue to work closely with Black community leaders and organisations to support meaningful participation in research across all parts of our society.
Building a screening programme on the strongest possible evidence depends on people from all backgrounds taking part. We encourage anyone invited to take part to take up this opportunity.
Laura Kerby, Chief Executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: After so much disappointment, this announcement is a truly historic moment. Black men are twice as likely to get the disease, and twice as likely to die from it.
That’s why we’re delighted that the Government has more than doubled its support for TRANSFORM and is backing our Black Health Equity Strategy, allowing us to generate the vital evidence needed to ensure those at highest risk are diagnosed earlier, when treatment is most effective.
This is only possible because of the commitment and leadership of Black communities across the country, bringing us a step closer to a world where no man dies from prostate cancer.
Director of policy at Cancer Research UK, Dr Ian Walker, said: The government’s decision to accept the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme is in line with the currently available evidence. We appreciate this will be disappointing for some, but screening must be evidence-led, and we welcome the Committee’s assurance to assess any new evidence quickly. Cancer Research UK-funded treatments like abiraterone have made a huge difference for men with prostate cancer, and we continue to invest in research for new tests and treatments.
Meanwhile, we will be working with the government and wider cancer community to improve guidance for GPs to enable them to support men worried about their risk of prostate cancer.
Actor, Colin McFarlane, said: History has been made with this decision. Black men have been left to fend for themselves against prostate cancer for far too long – in fact, my own diagnosis only came after a chance conversation with another actor who told me I was at risk of getting it.
Now Black men have been given a lifeline, a solid shot at getting an early diagnosis like I luckily had. I’m proud to have campaigned with Prostate Cancer UK for a number of years to push for change, and to raise vital funds for their research like this incredible TRANSFORM trial. We’re now a huge step closer to young men like my son one day getting a lifesaving routine screening programme.
Matt Green (AKA The Rapping Science Teacher), said: Our family has been hit by the fear and heartbreak of prostate cancer. My dad got diagnosed with the disease when it had already spread, and we were devastated to lose him. ?This extra funding is incredible news that really changes the game for Black men everywhere. I’m proud to support Prostate Cancer UK, especially as they lead the groundbreaking TRANSFORM trial. This research represents our biggest opportunity in decades to find the definitive evidence needed to build a much-needed national screening programme and help to save thousands of lives.
My two boys – and all of us – deserve a future where they can be confident, that if there is a problem, they will get an early prostate cancer diagnosis.
Charles Kwaku-Odoi DL, Chief Executive, Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), said: We welcome the renewed commitment to ensure that the TRANSFORM trial has clear target for Black men, 1 in 10 invitees at Stage 1 and all eligible Black men at Stage 2. The Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN) will work with Government and PCUK to ensure this ambition translates to equitable participation and positive experiences, where feedback is valued.
The TRANSFORM trial could be critical in directly tackling the disproportionately of prostate cancer in Black men if trust is built at different levels of its governance. Through the APPG on Black Health and partners, we would develop a dedicated independent Black community stakeholder group to ensure accountability and scrutiny over the course of the trial.
