A UK study says that screening men with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer can lead to early diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Many more cancers were found in carriers of BRCA gene mutations and they were twice as likely to need treatment. Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital screened about 300 men between the ages of 40 to 69.

The aim of the study was to screen a total of 1,700 men over five years. Preliminary results from the very first group of men are published in the British Journal of Urology International.

This study is one of the largest international prostate cancer screening study aimed at men who have a known genetic predisposition to the disease.

“Although these are early results, it appears that PSA screening is reasonably accurate at predicting potentially aggressive prostate cancer among men at higher risk of the disease due to a genetic predisposition,” said Professor Ros Eeles from the ICR and Royal Marsden, who led the study.

She said, “This study provides support for continued screening in men with genetic mutations.”