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A landmark £42 million trial aimed at revolutionising prostate cancer screening has officially begun in the UK, with the first eligible men now invited to participate.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting hailed the Transform project as a “game-changer”, expressing expert hopes that it could ultimately save thousands of lives.
The study will rigorously compare various innovative screening techniques against the NHS’s current diagnostic processes, which typically involve blood tests and biopsies.
In its initial phase, 16,000 men will be recruited to assess the efficacy of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests, genetic testing, and a rapid MRI scan known as a prostagram.
These methods will be benchmarked against existing NHS diagnostics to identify the most effective approaches.
Men aged between 50 and 74, or 45 and 74 for certain groups, will receive direct invitations from their GP to join the trial.
The first testing is underway at the InHealth community diagnostic centre in Ealing, with plans for further centres to open across the UK.
Following this initial stage, a second, larger phase of the trial will involve up to 300,000 men, focusing on the most promising screening options identified from the first stage.
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Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males in the UK, with around 55,000 new cases every year
There is currently no screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK due to concerns about the accuracy of PSA tests.
However, the launch of Transform comes as the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) prepares to announce its decision on whether current evidence supports the introduction of screening for the disease.
Laura Kerby, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: “The future of prostate cancer screening starts today.
“It’s incredible to see the launch of this once-in-a-generation trial that so many people have worked to make possible, from our scientists to our amazing supporters raising funds.”
Professor Hashim Ahmed, chief investigator of the trial, chairman of urology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Professor of Urology at Imperial College London, said the study is “truly game-changing”.
“As the biggest and most ambitious trial I’ve ever been part of, the start of recruitment today marks a pivotal step towards getting the results men urgently need to make prostate cancer diagnosis safe and more effective so that we can unlock the potential of prostate cancer screening in the UK,” he said.
“Combining our world-class team of UK researchers, the latest screening techniques like fast MRI scans, PSA blood tests and genetic tests, we can find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer – minimising late diagnosis, saving more lives and doing so with fewer harms.
“Importantly, we’ve designed the study so that we can evaluate promising new tests as soon as they’re developed.”
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Health Secretary Wes Streeting hailed the £42 million Transform project as a ‘game-changer’, with experts hopeful it could help save thousands of lives (PA Wire)
Transform will be delivered in partnership with the NHS through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which has committed £16 million in funding, with the remainder coming from Prostate Cancer UK.
Ms Kerby said: “The men signing up for the study, and the people who donate to keep it running, will have the power to help save thousands of lives each year in the UK and even hundreds of thousands globally.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males in the UK, with around 55,000 new cases every year.
Transform will also aim to tackle inequalities when it comes to prostate cancer diagnosis and care.
Black men are twice as likely to get the disease and twice and likely to die from it.
At least one in 10 men invited to join the Transform trial will be black, Prostate Cancer UK said.
Mr Streeting said: “Prostate cancer is one of the biggest killers of men in the UK. Devastatingly, around one in eight will get it and that risk is doubled in black men.
“But today marks a turning point for prostate cancer care in this country as the first men are invited to take part in this game-changing trial funded by the Government and Prostate Cancer UK.”
Mr Streeting vowed to “look carefully” at the recommendations from the NSC and said he is “determined to bring about genuine change”.
It comes as the Government launched its first men’s health strategy earlier this week.
As part of the blueprint, at-home PSA tests have been recommended to help some patients monitor the disease more easily.
They could be introduced from 2027 following clinical validation, although Prostate Cancer UK called for more details and warned that more work was needed before PSA tests can be recommended for home use.
