Published on 3 June 2026
A Cheshire and Merseyside patient representative has welcomed a Government decision to expand prostate cancer research to find the best screening strategy and more treatment choices for the disease.
A £20 million package has been unveiled to expand a landmark prostate cancer screening trial so that for the first time, all eligible Black men will be invited to take part.
The TRANSFORM study – jointly funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) – is testing the best ways to detect prostate cancer earlier and save more lives, while avoiding unnecessary treatment and the associated harms.
The move recognises that Black men face a higher risk of prostate cancer and aims to build the evidence needed to find the best screening strategy and tackle long-standing inequalities.
Mike Crowe, a former prostate cancer patient who is a patient representative for Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA), welcomed the move, saying it reflected the danger that prostate cancer poses to Black men over the age of 45.
Mike, who lives in Liverpool, said: “This decision is historic and will hopefully bring new knowledge while protecting Black men from this disease.
“Black men have been left to find out about prostate cancer themselves for a long time. My own diagnosis only came after a chance conversation with another Black man who told me I was at a higher risk of getting it. Now Black men have been given a lifeline, a good shot at getting an early diagnosis like I luckily had.”
To ensure the expansion reaches Black men from all communities, the TRANSFORM investigators are working with Prostate Cancer UK to boost community engagement around the country and encourage Black men to take part in the trial. Black men eligible to join it include those aged 45 to 74 who are resident in the UK and have not had a PSA test or prostate MRI scan in the last five years.
Mike said: “I would urge all Black men eligible to take part in this study to do so. They are at a much higher risk of prostate cancer and finding it early can make all the difference. It did for me.”
Alongside the study funding, the government has accepted a recommendation from the independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) to introduce England’s first targeted prostate cancer screening programme. Men who carry the BRCA2 gene variant and have a family history of prostate, breast, pancreatic or ovarian cancer will be offered a PSA test every two years between the ages of 45 and 61. The final recommendation follows a public consultation that received nearly 1,000 responses, with the programme expected to roll out next year.
Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said: “This is a major step forward in how we tackle prostate cancer - focusing on those most at risk, improving the treatments available, and backing the research we need to close the evidence gaps and save lives.
“We’re following the science to make sure men get earlier answers and better care, and to avoid doing unnecessary harm. By investing in research through trials such as TRANSFORM, we’re building a fairer, more effective prostate cancer screening system for the future.”
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said: “Expansion of the TRANSFORM trial to all eligible Black men is a massive step forward in strengthening the evidence to find the best, most effective and safest ways to screen those at highest risk of prostate cancer.
“The investigator team will continue to work closely with Black community leaders and organisations to support meaningful participation in research across all parts of our society. Building a screening programme on the strongest possible evidence depends on people from all backgrounds taking part. We encourage anyone invited to take part to take up this opportunity.”
As results come in from trials like TRANSFORM and the evidence base develops, the UK NSC will keep recommendations under review to ensure screening policy continues to reflect the best available science.