A major programme to drive forward prostate cancer screening across Europe
PRAISE -U is an international project that could lead to organised prostate cancer screening programmes becoming a reality across Europe.
Funded by the European Union, its main objective is to develop a framework (or “protocol”) for how effective prostate cancer screening might be implemented in the real world. The aim is the introduction of screening programmes which identify potentially harmful prostate cancer in the maximum number of men.
To achieve this, PRAISE-U, working through a coalition of 25 institutions and organisations including Europa Uomo, is:
- Building a scientific knowledge base about what has been successful, and unsuccessful, in prostate cancer screening up until now
- Developing performance indicators that can be used to measure how successful a prostate cancer screening programme actually is
- Designing a protocol for prostate cancer screening programmes, which can be tailored to circumstances in different countries
- Testing the protocol by conducting pilot studies of prostate cancer screening in four countries: Poland, Spain, Ireland and Lithuania.
This is important work, and Europa Uomo has been integrally involved in its planning and implementation. If the project is a success, its findings will form the foundation of national screening programmes for prostate cancer across Europe.
As a patient organisation, we are deeply committed to PRAISE-U, and for it to be the start of screening in all European member states. This will save many lives and save many men suffering with a metastasised cancer. On top of that, it will save a lot of money: caring for someone with metastasised cancer to the end of their life costs ten times what it costs to cure cancer.
Background to PRAISE-U
The PRAISE-U project arose because In December 2022 the Council of the European Union updated its Cancer Screening Recommendations, supporting prostate cancer screening in principle and adding prostate cancer to the list of cancers that will benefit from European guidelines. The scientists advising the European Commission said there was good evidence of the benefits of organised prostate cancer screening using risk stratification, PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing and MRI scanning as a follow-up test.
PRAISE-U aims to discover whether this works in practice, in different countries and circumstances.
The project began in April 2023 and will end in April 2026
What PRAISE-U is doing
The project is divided into work packages, some of which are complete and some of which are just beginning or ongoing.
In simple terms, there are four workstreams. Click on the links to find out more.
- Gathering knowledge about prostate cancer screening in Europe
- Building a model for prostate cancer screening programmes
- Piloting screening programmes in different countries
- Evaluating the pilot screening programmes