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Sir Tony Robinson and journalists Dermot Murnaghan He has expressed his “disappointment” after a national committee decided not to recommend universal prostate cancer Screening for all men.
blackadder star, who discussed his 2023 diagnosisS, and former Sky News anchor Mr Murnaghan, who revealed his stage four prostate cancer this year, Those criticizing the decision include.
former footballer Ferdinands And actor Colin McFarlane also shared his disappointment.
Mr MacFarlane highlighted the increased risk of prostate cancer, particularly among black men, saying people “deserve much better than this”.
The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) has issued a draft recommendation suggesting that men with a known genetic predisposition should undergo screening every two years.
However, the committee refused population-wide testing, citing “harms” associated with overdiagnosis.
Sir Tony, 79, who played Baldrick in Blackadder, said: “I’m terribly disappointed. Getting prostate cancer diagnosed early can save your life, but we still don’t have a screening program for it in the UK.
“I was lucky that I found my cancer early, but around 10,000 men every year are found too late for treatment and that’s not right.
“I’m working with Prostate Cancer UK to talk about this disease, telling men they are at risk and allaying concerns about testing, like that scary finger pointing out that you don’t really need to be tested for prostate cancer.
“But we need to take responsibility for doing something about not relying solely on men who know about this disease that no one really talks about.
“We need a clever plan to solve this, so I’m delighted that the Transform trial will give us a screening program that will invite all men at risk to be tested, and I can’t wait to see what the science tells us in two years’ time.”
Launched last week by Prostate Cancer UK, the TRANSFORM trial will look at whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, could lead to recommended population-wide screening.
Broadcaster Murnaghan, 67, said: “With prostate cancer cases higher than ever before and this disease dominating the national conversation, I really thought we were heading towards an exciting moment here.
“I am very disappointed that the committee decided not to recommend screening – it felt like it was time for men to make progress.
“Finding out I have incurable prostate cancer was devastating, but I am so pleased with the support I have received, support that has encouraged me to do my part to help save lives, primarily by encouraging men to find out their risk and get tested early.
“Despite this moment that we did not expect, I will keep fighting until we overcome prostate cancer.”
Sir Stephen Fry, who is a prostate cancer research ambassador and revealed in 2018 that he had surgery after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, was also among those reacting to the decision.
He said: “I am deeply disappointed by today’s news. Men in the UK deserve much better. Prostate cancer remains the second biggest cancer killer of men in this country, with more than 12,000 deaths each year.
“The only way to overcome that horrific statistic is to catch prostate cancer before symptoms appear – and the best way to do that is through a screening programme. I hope the country will understand.”
Macfarlane, who was diagnosed with the disease along with her brother, further said that black people “urgently need the government to take action and change outdated NHS guidelines” to allow GPs to “proactively” contact them about blood tests from the age of 45.
Former Newcastle United striker Ferdinand, 58, whose grandfather died from the disease, said: “I have seen members of my family survive prostate cancer because their cancer was detected early.
“Without a national screening programme, the responsibility for early detection and timely treatment of prostate cancer rests entirely on the shoulders of men, and this should not be the case.
“Black men have twice the risk of prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die, and something has to be done.
“It is unacceptable that outdated guidelines mean GPs can’t talk to black men about their risk, even though it is so high, and I’m supporting Prostate Cancer UK’s call for this to change while we wait for evidence to support screening.”
It comes after former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron revealed earlier this week that he had been treated for prostate cancer.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was announced as a Prostate Cancer Research Ambassador in February, said: “The committee’s recommendation is extremely disappointing. This is a missed opportunity to make a generational change in men’s health and take a major step forward in tackling the most common cancer in British men.
“I appreciate all those who have spoken out in support of the targeted screening program for prostate cancer. I can assure them that the campaign will continue, we will not give up. No family should lose a father, brother or son unnecessarily.”