The Stockholm3 blood test will be offered to up to 10,000 UK men aged 45–74 in a programme assessing whether it can improve early detection of aggressive prostate cancer. Around 8,000 subsidised tests will cost £99 and 2,000 will be free, with results potentially contributing to the BEYOND-PSA study. Stockholm3 combines PSA with protein, genetic and clinical markers and has identified up to 90% of clinically significant cancers in large European studies versus 42% with standard PSA screening. Positive results prompt urgent urology referral for MRI and possible biopsy.
Stockholm3 Prostate Test To Be Offered To 10,000 UK Men — Could Detect More Aggressive Cancers
Jeremy Clarkson has campaigned for a national prostate cancer screening programme since he was diagnosed with the disease in May 2025 - Television Stills
Up to 10,000 men aged 45 to 74 will be offered the Stockholm3 blood test in a new UK programme that aims to evaluate whether the test can be used more widely to detect aggressive prostate cancers earlier.
The private service, launching at Nuffield Health's Barbican Medical Centre in London, will provide around 8,000 subsidised tests at £99 (compared with private clinic prices that can exceed £500) and 2,000 free tests for men who might otherwise struggle to afford screening. Participants will be invited to allow their data to contribute to the BEYOND-PSA study, which will assess the test's effectiveness within UK clinical pathways.
What Stockholm3 Tests For
Stockholm3 combines the conventional prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement with additional protein markers, genetic information and clinical factors such as age and family history to estimate an individual's risk of clinically significant prostate cancer. European research of more than 12,000 men aged 50–74 found Stockholm3 detected up to 90% of clinically significant cancers versus about 42% using standard PSA-based screening with age-adjusted thresholds.
Importantly, Stockholm3 does not itself diagnose cancer. Instead, it identifies men at higher risk who should proceed to further investigations — typically an urgent urology referral and an MRI scan, followed by biopsy if indicated.
Pathway And Access
Under the Nuffield pathway, men whose Stockholm3 results indicate elevated risk will be recommended for urgent referral to a urologist for MRI. If an NHS or other timely MRI is not accessible, the programme will offer a funded scan at Nuffield Health Highgate Hospital, with biopsy available where necessary. Central London Healthcare, a GP-run not-for-profit, will invite those eligible for funded places in inner London.
Context And Debate
The announcement comes amid ongoing debate in the UK about prostate cancer screening. There is no national screening programme. Earlier this year the UK National Screening Committee recommended routine screening only for a narrow group — men with a pathogenic BRCA2 variant and those with specific family histories — a policy that would initially invite only around 1,500 men per year for organised screening.
In August the Government withdrew long-standing guidance that had said men could request a free PSA test; ministers and officials have disagreed on whether that guidance created a de facto right or whether the final decision rests with a patient's GP. Campaigners and clinicians have called for more targeted screening for higher-risk groups such as Black men, those with a family history of prostate cancer and men with high-risk genes.
High-Profile Case And Reactions
The Stockholm3 test was used following an initial PSA check in the high-profile diagnosis of broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson, who had a routine PSA test in May 2025 showing raised levels and then underwent Stockholm3 testing and subsequent investigations that confirmed prostate cancer. He later had surgery and has campaigned for wider screening.
Rishi Sunak, a Prostate Cancer Research ambassador, said: "Too many men put off getting checked. Prostate cancer is most treatable when it is found early and without symptoms. BEYOND-PSA is an important step on that journey. I urge eligible men to register, take part and help generate the evidence we need to save more lives."
Dr Jayne Spink, Chief Scientific Officer at Prostate Cancer Research, added: "Early detection is the most effective way to save lives. If we want to know whether Stockholm3 can help detect more cancers earlier in the UK, we must put it to work within real clinical pathways and measure the impact."
Other Trials
Separately, Prostate Cancer UK is leading the £60 million TRANSFORM trial, which is comparing screening approaches. The second stage will invite all Black men aged 45–74 who have not recently had a PSA test, involving up to 300,000 men in total.
Each year in the UK more than 64,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and there are over 12,000 deaths, making earlier and more accurate detection a public health priority for many clinicians and campaigners.
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