Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Huntingdon father Shane Newton diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer after high PSA test results.
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Shane Newton was 56 years old when doctors told him his prostate cancer had spread to his bones and could not be cured. The father from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, had put off visiting his GP for months, chalking up his tiredness to everyday fatigue. A PSA blood test — which measures a protein linked to prostate cancer — finally flagged a "high level of concern," but by then it was too late for curative treatment, BBC reported.
His story sits at the heart of a fierce debate in the UK: why does prostate cancer — the most common cancer in British men — still have no national screening program? Every year, 12,000 men in the UK die from the disease, yet no man receives a routine invitation to be tested.
Why Prostate Cancer Is So Hard to Catch Early
Prostate cancer is almost silent in its early stages. The prostate sits deep in the pelvis, so tumors rarely cause pain or obvious symptoms until they spread to the bones — causing fatigue and, in some cases, fainting episodes. Newton initially blamed his tiredness on simply "being run down." Oncologists call this the "late-presentation trap," and it is devastatingly common, according to BBC.
The PSA test can detect a warning sign in the blood. But the test is imperfect. Non-cancerous conditions — like an enlarged prostate or an infection — can also raise PSA levels, triggering unnecessary biopsies. That uncertainty has made health authorities cautious about rolling it out to all men nationwide.
UK Rejects Mass Screening but Opens a Targeted Door
In May 2026, the UK National Screening Committee officially rejected a mass prostate cancer screening program. Its chair, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said PSA testing risks "very real harm" through overdiagnosis — treating slow-growing tumors that would never have killed the patient, but whose treatment causes side effects like incontinence and impotence. The committee concluded the test does "more harm than good" at a population level.
But the government did not walk away entirely. In June 2026, the Department of Health confirmed a targeted screening program starting in 2027. It will invite men aged 45 to 61 who carry the BRCA2 gene variant — a genetic mutation that sharply raises cancer risk. Prostate Cancer UK called the decision "deeply disappointing," warning that "too many men at highest risk are still being left without access."
Black Men and Family History Still Fall Through the Gaps
Black men face a 1 in 4 lifetime risk of prostate cancer — double the 1 in 8 risk for men in the UK overall. Men with a father or brother who had the disease are also at significantly higher risk. Yet neither group is currently included in a formal, invitation-based screening program. Health authorities encourage them to be "proactive" and ask their GP for a PSA test, but there is no automatic safety net.
Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2024, has become one of the loudest public voices calling for change. His advocacy helped fuel the "fathers live longer" campaign pushing for lower screening ages. Political figures including David Cameron and Stephen Fry have also backed mass screening, creating a visible rift between public pressure and clinical caution, according to Yahoo News.
A £60 Million Trial That Could Change Everything
The best near-term hope lies in the TRANSFORM trial — the largest prostate cancer screening study in 20 years. Funded with up to £60 million, it aims to recruit 300,000 men and find a more accurate alternative to the PSA test. Better tools could reduce the risk of overdiagnosis and make a national program viable. Results are expected later this decade, according to BBC.
Until then, doctors urge men over 50 — or over 45 if Black or with a family history — to ask their GP about a PSA test. It is not a perfect test. But for men like Shane Newton, getting tested even one year earlier could have meant a very different outcome.
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