Screening for prostate cancer: complexity, campaigns, and evidence
Talk by Professor Jenny Donovan, Professor of Social Medicine, University of Bristol
Prostate cancer seems, on face value, to be a good candidate for screening. Over 12,000 men die of prostate cancer each year in the UK – only lung cancer causes more deaths. Prostate cancer can be detected when it is confined within the prostate and treatment with surgery or radiotherapy can offer a cure. Media and charity campaigns call loudly for the introduction of screening, many supported by public figures and celebrities telling their prostate cancer stories.
However, prostate cancer is not a simple disease. It takes several forms, making it different from other types of cancer. There are complexities involved in diagnosing it accurately and treating it effectively. The UK National Screening Committee recently completed a review of the evidence and in March 2026, recommended that prostate cancer screening should be introduced only for men who have a particular gene variant (BRCA-2) which can lead to aggressive disease. Prostate cancer screening was not recommended for men in the general population because of concerns that harms would outweigh benefits. It was also not recommended for subgroups at a higher risk of being diagnosed – such as black men and men with a family history – because of considerable uncertainties.
This talk will describe the complexities of prostate cancer and its detection, and explore what we know about the benefits and harms of screening. This evidence includes detailed information provided by patients about outcomes and experiences of screening and treatment from studies with over 15 years of follow-up.
Professor Jenny Donovan trained as a social scientist and her research has focused on capturing the views and evaluating the outcomes of patients with various health conditions. She has published over 500 peer-reviewed publications and co-leads two major long-term prostate cancer studies comparing treatments for clinically localised prostate cancer and evaluating screening following an invitation for a PSA test. The results of these studies have contributed to UK and international guidelines and policy, including the UK National Screening Committee’s recent recommendations. Jenny is an NIHR Senior Investigator, Fellow of the UK Academies of Medical Sciences and Social Sciences, and received an OBE for services to social medicine in 2013. She now also enjoys spending time outdoors, particularly volunteering at Slimbridge wetlands and coppicing at Westonbirt arboretum.