Prostate Cancer Case-Finding Programme Tests Over 18,000 Men Missed During COVID-19 Disruptions

Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance (SSCA) and Medefer have announced the positive outcomes of their Targeted Prostate Health Check (TPHC) programme in a new report: https://medefer.com/early-detection-of-prostate-cancer/

This award-winning programme has raised awareness of prostate cancer, with 83% of participants gaining a better understanding of the importance of early detection, compared to a global awareness level of 74%.

The programme successfully filled the gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and has now ended. Lessons from the project are being used to support Prostate Cancer UK’s TRANSFORM trial, a £42m research project aimed at finding the best way to screen men for prostate cancer.

Running from August 2022 to April 2024, it identified men at higher risk of prostate cancer who missed testing during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a drop in GP referrals. This effort supports global initiatives like Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Movember, encouraging men to prioritise prostate health through early testing.

Almost 22,000 eligible males completed a prostate health questionnaire, with 18,079 then invited for a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test and urine test. 263 men have been identified with prostate cancer and are now receiving treatment.

A case-finding approach in primary care was used to review GP records and identify men at risk of prostate cancer based on age, ethnicity, and family history. Men over 50, black men, and those with a family history of prostate cancer have a higher chance of developing the disease.

“This catch-up programme underscores the success of proactive outreach and the need to encourage men who are at higher risk to get checked,” says Alex Norman, the SSCA’s medical director and a GP in Surrey. “Early prostate cancer rarely has symptoms, so it is unlikely that these men would have come forward to see their GP, and the pandemic made that even more difficult. This highly innovative, non-invasive approach helped us identify those most at risk for prostate cancer and find prostate cancer at an earlier stage.”

A recent evaluation by Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) and evaluation partner Unity Insights has found that 95% of men rated their experience as either “Good” or “Excellent” (based on feedback from 1,255 participants in the Targeted Prostate Health Check).

Participants expressed relief over early detection, with one saying: “I was told that it was caught early and was treatable. So, hearing that news, there was some comfort that it could be treated.” Another said: “I feel more knowledgeable, reassured and understanding of prostate cancer and, having spoken to the nurse for things to look out for.”

With over 52,000 new cases identified annually in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK, prostate cancer remains the most prevalent cancer among men. The success of the programme highlights the critical need for more research into timely prostate cancer screening.