- A new system for detecting prostate cancer has been introduced by the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, aiming to prevent unnecessary biopsies and potentially pave the way for universal screening in the UK.
- The current lack of universal prostate cancer screening in the UK is due to the inaccuracy of the PSA blood test, which can lead to men undergoing needless treatment.
- The Royal Marsden's new model has significantly improved detection rates from 27 per cent to 52 per cent, while also reducing the average time from referral to MRI scans from nine days to three.
- This faster pathway involves a comprehensive triage process, including physical examinations, detailed clinical history, urinary assessments, and AI-assisted imaging, to accurately identify high-risk patients and filter out low-risk cases.
- The system helps to avoid unnecessary investigations for men with slow-growing prostate cancer, which often does not require treatment, while ensuring those who need it receive prompt diagnosis.
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