Health officials accused of racial bias over cancer screening for Black men

Health & Fitness
6 Apr 2026 • 6:42 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • New figures indicate that over 2,000 Black men in the UK are projected to die from prostate cancer in the next decade if the current screening programme is not altered.
  • Black men are disproportionately affected, with one in four diagnosed in their lifetime, which is double the rate seen in white men, attributed to genetics, awareness, and diagnostic access.
  • The government's National Screening Committee recently rejected proposals for targeted prostate cancer screening for high-risk groups, including Black men, saying that the harms of widespread testing outweigh the benefits and a lack of sufficient data.
  • Prostate Cancer UK expressed disappointment over the decision, saying a significant opportunity was missed, and is now funding research to analyse NHS records to gather the necessary evidence for targeted screening.
  • Patients and families affected by prostate cancer have accused the committee of racial bias.

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