NHS pilots new same-day prostate cancer diagnosis using AI

Men with suspected prostate cancer will be able to get a diagnosis from the NHS within a day under a new trial hailed as a potential “game changer”.

Artificial intelligence will be used to interpret MRI scans for men suspected of having the disease, helping to spot lesions within minutes.

If the software finds a scan deemed to have a high risk of cancer, it will be sent to a radiologist for priority review and the patient will be booked in for a biopsy the same day.

Specialists will review results, with patients able to get the all-clear the same day or a diagnosis within a few days, saving men months of waiting.

The technology will be trialled at up to 15 hospitals, NHS England said.

Under current best practice guidelines, patients with suspected prostate cancer should receive an MRI and biopsy within a week of an urgent GP referral, but waits can be longer depending on the capacity of radiologists.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Prostate cancer is a devastating disease impacting thousands of men every year – and what makes this already incredibly challenging situation worse for these men are long waits for test results, diagnosis and treatment – it’s needlessly distressing for them and their families.

“By harnessing the power of technology we are revolutionising our NHS and tackling this, with AI able to deliver same-day prostate diagnoses, delivering better outcomes for patients and fast support for doctors.”

Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: “We’re really excited by the potential of artificial intelligence to speed up cancer diagnosis, and we hope this trial of an AI-powered ‘one-day diagnostics’ could be a game changer and help save men weeks of worry and uncertainty.

“As with all cancers, speed is crucial – the quicker the diagnosis, the sooner treatment can begin and help give the best chance of treatment being successful for patients and their families.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males and about one in eight men will have it in their lifetime, according to Prostate Cancer UK.

Some 58,218 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England in 2024, up from 53,462 the year before, according to the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA).

In Wales, 2,402 men were diagnosed in 2023, down from 2,551 in 2022.

The new AI tool, Pi, has been developed by Lucida Medical and comes ahead of the Government’s National Cancer Plan which is expected to be published later this year.

Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “The process of getting diagnosed in the NHS is safer and more accurate than it’s ever been, thanks to recent advances like MRI scans and targeted biopsies.

“The AI tool could represent a further step change, saving men prolonged anxiety and the bother of hospital trips, while also increasing capacity for our hard-working NHS workforce.”