Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage men to get tested for prostate cancer.

There are risks and benefits ‎of testing for prostate cancer. There are side effects to many of the treatments for prostate cancer, such as impotence and incontinence, but, there is no doubt that, in some cases, if found early, ‎it could save lives. However, many of the men having tests and receiving treatment would not have any symptoms or problems relating to their cancers in their life.

The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) supports men in making an informed choice on whether to be tested for prostate cancer. The PCRMP provides general practitioners and primary care professionals with information to counsel asymptomatic men aged 50 and over who ask about prostate specific antigen testing for prostate cancer.

Further information on the PCRMP is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overview