Yorkshire Cancer Research statement on the overtreatment of prostate cancer

Yorkshire Cancer Research supports calls for urgent improvements to reduce the number of men receiving unnecessary treatment for prostate cancer.

The charity has welcomed demands for clearer, evidence-based guidelines that will help men with prostate cancer make more informed decisions about their treatment plans.

Some men are diagnosed with slow-growing cancers that may never cause symptoms or harm during their lifetime and are unlikely to need surgery or radiotherapy.

Instead of receiving treatment, which can lead to serious side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, these men can be closely monitored through ‘active surveillance’.

They are tested regularly to keep track of levels of a protein called ‘prostate specific antigen’ (PSA), which can be an indicator that a cancer is growing. They may also receive scans and ‘biopsies’, which involve taking samples of tissue to be examined.

However, the way hospitals provide active surveillance differs across the country and the process can be complex and lengthy, meaning hundreds of men in Yorkshire are choosing to have treatment they don’t need.

Half of men who choose active surveillance eventually go on receive surgery or radiotherapy due to rising PSA levels.

More than 4,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in Yorkshire, making it the most common cancer in men. Yorkshire Cancer Research is committed to funding research so more people in the region receive an early diagnosis and can benefit from innovative new treatments.

Since 2020, the charity has been funding a clinical trial called Finesse, which is aiming to improve surveillance by using an active medication that reduces prostate size, reduces PSA levels and helps detect cancers that need treating sooner.

The charity is also funding a new prostate screening clinical trial called IMProVE, due to launch in 2026, which will help develop better treatment plans for men with slow-growing cancers.

Both studies are led by Professor Jim Catto, Professor of Urology at the University of Sheffield and an Honorary Consultant Urological Surgeon at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Professor Catto said: “Many men are eligible for active surveillance and are put off by either the complexity of it, their thoughts of having cancer and wanting immediate radical treatment for this, or concerns about the long-term consequences of active surveillance.

“Men are reluctant to undergo multiple biopsies and so rely on PSA tests. If PSA levels continue to rise, they may end up having unnecessary treatment. We hope to keep more men in surveillance for longer.