§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce PSA testing to screen for prostate cancer. [119730]
§ Yvette CooperIn 1997, the United Kingdom National Screening Committee recommended against introducing population screening for prostate cancer using the prostate-specific antigen test. In the context of a national screening programme, the NSC concluded that the limited accuracy of the test could have led to a positive result for those without the disease. Follow-up procedures could have caused considerable unnecessary harm to healthy individuals.
The UK National Screening Committee is now reviewing the evidence in the light of technological improvements. I expect to receive further advice on prostrate cancer screening on the basis of this research from the UK National Screening Committee later this year.