Population Screening Act: screening for prostate cancer

The Public Health department of the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam intends to perform a population-based screening pilot for prostate cancer with serum prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) testing. Based on the Population Screening Act, a permit is required for this pilot. The Committee on Population Screening of the Health Council evaluated the permit application and advises the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) not to grant the permit. The committee concludes that the proposed pilot does not meet the legal requirements: the scientific validity of the screening pilot is insufficient, the benefits do not outweigh the risks for the participants, and the screening pilot does not comply with the standards for medical practice.