A proposed prostate cancer screening pilot could help New Zealand work out how to detect the disease earlier, giving men more treatment options before their cancer becomes...
A proposed prostate cancer screening pilot could help New Zealand work out how to detect the disease earlier, giving men more treatment options before their cancer becomes advanced.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation has welcomed National’s election commitment to establish a pilot, after campaigning for one for three years.
The foundation says prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among New Zealand men, with around 4,500 diagnoses and approximately 700 deaths each year.
But the announcement is a commitment to trial a screening approach. It is not the launch of a nationwide programme or an invitation for men to book a screening appointment.
Screening means checking people for signs of disease before they have symptoms.
A pilot tests an approach on a smaller scale before a decision is made about offering it more widely. For prostate cancer, that would help establish how screening could identify cancers earlier while limiting unnecessary investigations and treatment.
New Zealand currently has organised national screening programmes for bowel, breast and cervical cancer, but none for prostate cancer.
Foundation chief executive Peter Dickens says too many men are diagnosed after their cancer has already advanced. Earlier detection, he says, can provide more treatment choices and improve their chances of survival.
He wants the pilot to be properly funded, carefully designed and guided by the best available evidence.
One test used to assess prostate health is the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, blood test.
PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland. A higher reading can indicate that further investigation is needed, but it does not necessarily mean someone has cancer.
Health New Zealand says PSA levels can also rise because of an enlarged prostate or an infection. Some people can have prostate cancer despite a normal PSA result.
Further investigations may include a scan or a biopsy, which involves taking a small sample of prostate tissue.
Finding a dangerous cancer early can make a significant difference. However, screening also has potential drawbacks.
The Cancer Society says testing can identify slow-growing cancers that would never have caused problems during a person’s lifetime. This can lead to unnecessary treatment, with possible side effects including urinary incontinence and sexual problems.
Further investigations can also carry risks. A biopsy, for example, can cause bleeding, pain or infection.
A well-designed pilot would need to assess the balance between finding cancers that require treatment and avoiding harm from unnecessary procedures.
Dickens says progress on prostate cancer screening should have support across political parties.
The foundation wants New Zealand to learn from international research, including the European PRAISE-U programme, while developing an approach suited to local needs.
It supports moving towards a national programme if the evidence shows that screening can save lives and improve outcomes.
National’s published health policy includes commitments to prostate and lung cancer screening pilots. Its policy summary does not specify the prostate pilot’s eligibility criteria, locations or start date.
Men do not have to wait for a pilot to discuss prostate cancer testing with their doctor.
The Cancer Society recommends that men aged 50 and older talk to their doctor about PSA testing and its benefits and risks. Anyone with concerns about symptoms or a family history of prostate cancer can also seek advice about their individual situation.
The proposed pilot could inform a more organised approach to early detection. For now, decisions about testing remain a conversation between patients and their healthcare providers.
Sources: Prostate Cancer Foundation media release, 6 October 2026; National Party health policy; Health New Zealand; Cancer Society.
