Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on screening all men for prostate cancer at the age of 50; and if he will make a statement.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advice on prostate cancer screening/prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing in men over the age of 50 is that a systematic population screening programme is not recommended. This recommendation is currently being reviewed as part of the UK NSC's regular review cycle and is due to be completed by November 2015. The UK NSC first reviewed the evidence for a national prostate screening programme in 1997 and again in 2010. The reviews did not show clear evidence that prostate cancer screening using the PSA test was more beneficial than harmful, and showed a risk of over-diagnosis.

The UK NSC says that PSA testing can be performed on request, and information is provided on the risks and benefits by the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme.