§ Sir Julian CritchleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will allocate more funds to research into, and finding a cure for, prostate cancer; [7463]
(2) if he will encourage general practitioners to take a blood test for prostate cancer as part of routine examinations for men over 40 years. [7460]
§ Mr. HoramThe Department of Health's standing group on health technology has identified carcinoma of the prostate as one of the priority areas for health technology assessment. Two systematic reviews of the diagnosis, management and screening of early localised prostate cancer, commissioned by the Department, have recently been completed. The reports found no justification for the routine use of the prostate specific antigen blood test by general practitioners. There is at present no evidence that the number of prostate cancer deaths could be reduced by screening asymptomatic men. Screening may also lead to unnecessary investigations and treatment, with the risk of inducing anxiety and adverse physical side effects.
The Department's national screening committee will consider screening for prostate cancer as part of its programme of reviews of a wide range of screening programmes in the national health service. Other research projects are under way. The national screening committee will consider any new scientific evidence as it becomes available.