A pioneering system designed to detect prostate cancer more accurately has been introduced at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, raising hopes that it could pave the way for future screening programmes while reducing unnecessary biopsies.
Unlike the current approach, which relies heavily on the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, the new model provides a more comprehensive assessment before patients undergo scans or treatment.
The PSA test is not sufficiently reliable to support national screening, with experts warning it could result in many men receiving treatment they do not actually require.
Advances in diagnostic technology, however, have led to significant improvements. At the Royal Marsden, detection rates using the new system have risen from 27% to 52%.
Crucially, men whose prostate abnormalities do not require intervention are identified earlier, preventing them from undergoing invasive procedures unnecessarily, says Independent report.
The hospital has also reduced the average waiting time for an MRI from referral – cutting it from nine days to just three.
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Nurse consultant in uro-oncology at the trust, Dr Netty Kinsella, described the system as “fundamentally a triage optimisation model – directing high-risk patients through rapid MRI and biopsy, while sparing low-risk or inappropriate cases from unnecessary investigation,” this, she explained, not only improves diagnostic accuracy but also allows resources to be focused on men most likely to benefit.
Under the new pathway, patients first undergo a detailed medical history, physical examination, and urinary assessment before proceeding to an MRI scan.
Artificial intelligence is then used to support imaging analysis, ensuring other conditions such as urinary tract infections are ruled out ahead of any biopsy.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United Kingdom (UK), with around 55,100 new cases diagnosed annually – the equivalent of 150 every day.
Around 12,000 men die from the disease each year. Symptoms may include difficulty urinating, increased urgency, erectile dysfunction, and the presence of blood in urine or semen.
While some forms of prostate cancer grow so slowly that treatment may never be needed, others are more aggressive and can spread quickly, requiring prompt intervention.
Campaigners hope that innovations such as the Marsden’s model will help strike the right balance between early detection and avoiding overtreatment.
