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Male Cancers

Owen Donovan by Owen Donovan
November 3, 2026
in Health & Social Care, Issues
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Male Cancers

Is this devolved to Wales?

Devolved

The necessary powers are not reserved to the UK Parliament in Schedule 7A of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Shared Powers

Insert a specific explanation of the powers situation for this issue here.

Not Devolved

The powers over this are reserved to the UK Parliament in Schedule 7A of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (Specific Section/Number/Clause).

Where is this happening?
National
What's happening?
Why is this happening?
Who has been affected?
What's happening?

This page will track and monitor when cancers that only affect males are raised in the Senedd. The most common forms are prostate and testicular cancer.

Prostate cancer is the third most common cancer that causes death in Wales, and men are proportionally more likely to die from cancer than women1.

On October 21st 2026, the Senedd agreed to a non-binding motion tabled by Reform UK calling for prostate cancer to be prioritised in the Welsh Government’s cancer strategy.

Why is this happening?

Males carrying certain genes (or a family history) may be more at risk of developing prostate cancer, while it’s also more common in black and older men.

Testicular cancer is more common in younger men (under-50s) and white men with a family history of cancer.

Both forms of cancer have a high survival rate if caught early, but this often relies on men seeking medical advice or self-checking (in the case of testicular cancer). There may be cultural barriers to this (men being more reluctant to seek help) and real world barriers (harder to get a timely appointment and the lack of a men’s health plan).

There isn’t a national screening programme for prostate cancer. Though men aged 45-61 with a genetic risk of developing prostate cancer may be offered a test.

A national prostate cancer screening programme has been rejected by health authorities because it produces too many “false positive” results (meaning they show that a man may have cancer when it turns out he doesn’t, leading to overdiagnosis)2.

Who has been affected?

Around 3,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Wales every year; around 600 men die from it annually. Testicular cancer is less common, with around 100 men diagnosed in Wales each year. Penile cancer is very rare3.

Charts (if needed)
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Souce text, source text, source text.

Costs & Economic Impact

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£ 00 million Total
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  • Explanation
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Who has raised this at the Senedd?

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Health & Care Minister

Matthew Jones MS

Backbencher

Elwyn Vaughan MS

Chair: Economy & Energy

Ben McKenna MS

Shadow Health Minister

Helen Jenner MS

Leader of the Opposition

Adrian Mason MS

Shadow Counsel General

Dr Gareth Thomas MS

Shadow Mental Health Minister

James Evans MS

Chair: Environment & Rural Affairs

Ken Skates MS

Labour Group Leader

Paul Davies MS

Conservative Whip

Janet Finch-Saunders MS

Backbencher

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Health & Care Minister

Matthew Jones MS

Backbencher

Elwyn Vaughan MS

Chair: Economy & Energy

Ben McKenna MS

Shadow Health Minister

Helen Jenner MS

Leader of the Opposition

Adrian Mason MS

Shadow Counsel General

Dr Gareth Thomas MS

Shadow Mental Health Minister

James Evans MS

Chair: Environment & Rural Affairs

Ken Skates MS

Labour Group Leader

Paul Davies MS

Conservative Whip

Janet Finch-Saunders MS

Backbencher

What are the party positions on this?
Plaid Cymru
  • Supports prioritising prostate cancer
  • Opposed
  • Neutral/No Opinion

Plaid Cymru backbenchers support the principle of site-specific cancers being included in the National Cancer Strategy, but also measures to encourage men to seek help when they need it.

I'm not aware of any plans for the (cancer) strategy....to focus on any site-specific cancers....but with such a tight deadline, the strategy must build on existing groundwork. There are already national optimal pathways shaped by clinical specialists and best practice that set out how people with suspected site-specific cancers, including prostate cancer, should be treated and supported, but too many people are not being served quickly and effectively by these pathways. There's often a backlog for diagnosis and waits for treatment often depend on surgical space and workforce availability.
Matthew Jones MS
Matthew Jones MSSir Fynwy Torfaen
It isn't just the practical challenges that we have to tackle, either. Often, stigma and unwillingness to discuss personal health matters can also lead to delay. We know that some men in farming communities are more prepared to prioritise the health and welfare of their animals over their own. We need to change that. We must foster a culture where men feel comfortable speaking about their health and are willing to ask for advice when something worries them. 
Elwyn Vaughan MS
Elwyn Vaughan MSGwynedd Maldwyn
Reform UK
  • Supports prioritising prostate cancer
  • Opposed
  • Neutral/No Opinion

Reform UK support prioritising specific actions on prostate cancer, believing men will be at risk of being left without proper support if there isn’t one.

Prostate cancer needs more than a passing mention in the cancer strategy; it needs clear actions, including targets to increase the proportion of men who are diagnosed at an early stage, particularly in our most deprived communities; measurable improvements in the proportion of men with high-risk disease who receive timely radical treatment; urgent action to fix data quality issues so that progress can be monitored; plans to improve diagnostic and treatment capacity; and an integration with a broader men's health approach that encourages men to come forward sooner.
Ben McKenna MS
Ben McKenna MSAfan Ogwr Rhondda
I'm thinking about my grandfather and about the families across Wales facing those same worries today. I'm also thinking about the men who may have put off speaking to their GP. I'm 61 now, and because of my family background, I've had the prostate-specific antigen test, and, thankfully, the result was reassuring. But many men don't take that step. Some don't want to make a fuss. Some are worried about what they might be told.
Adrian Mason MS
Adrian Mason MSClwyd
We also know how hard it is for many men to come forward. Too many have grown up believing that talking about their health is a weakness, and prostate cancer often gives no warning in its early stages. Members of the Senedd have spoken with real courage about their personal experiences, and I pay tribute to them, Paul (Davies). Our party leader in Scotland has done the same. But we cannot ask men to be brave enough to come forward and then fail to have a clear plan waiting for them when they do.
Dr Gareth Thomas MS
Dr Gareth Thomas MSPen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg
Labour
  • Supports
  • Opposed
  • Backs advice against a prostate screening programme

Labour supports the evidence against introducing a prostate screening programme, instead preferring increased investment in research and treatments. They still support targeted screening of at-risk men.

Decisions about screening programmes must always be based on the best available evidence. In this case, we know that the independent UK National Screening Committee does not recommend population-wide screening for prostate cancer. It advises that population-wide screening can cause more harm than good, because of the risks that include false positives and also the risk of providing false reassurances. Instead, they recommend targeted screening for prostate cancer, and, of course, the UK Labour Government has followed that advice.
Ken Skates MS
Ken Skates MSFflint Wrecsam
Conservatives
  • Supports a prostate cancer screening programme
  • Opposed
  • Neutral/No Opinion

The Conservatives back a national prostate cancer screen programme, believing early detection is key to cutting the proportionally high death rate associated with prostate cancer.

The Welsh Conservatives want to see a national screening programme introduced by the Welsh Government. I believe that earlier detection improves patient outcomes, and as Prostate Cancer Research tells us, when prostate cancer is detected early, survival rates are close to 100 per cent. And this is not a party political point. I have worked constructively with colleagues in other parties (such as) Lord Kevin Brennan….We both shared our different prostate cancer journeys, and we discussed why we believe a national screening programme should be introduced.
Paul Davies MS
Paul Davies MSCeredigion Penfro
Behind every statistic is a man facing the devastating consequences of cancer, prostate cancer being the most common cancer to affect men. Yet it remains one of the cancers where diagnosis too often comes too late. That is why, as has been said many times here today, and I endorse, early detection must be a priority. The Welsh Conservatives firmly believe that a national prostate cancer screening programme could help to identify the disease earlier, improve survival rates, reduce inequality and raise awareness across Wales.
Janet Finch-Saunders MS
Janet Finch-Saunders MSBangor Conwy Môn
Green Party
  • Supports prioritising prostate cancer (in principle)
  • Opposed
  • Neutral/No Opinion

Green MSs haven’t said anything on this yet, but supported the motion debated in October 2026.

Test Test Test
NameConstituency
Liberal Democrats
  • Supports prioritising prostate cancer (in principle)
  • Opposed
  • Neutral/No Opinion

Jane Dodds hasn’t said anything on this but supported the motion debated in October 2026.

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Jane Dodds MS
Jane Dodds MSBrycheiniog Tawe Nedd
Who is responsible?

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Health & Care Minister

What have ministers said?
That is exactly why we are developing a new 10-year cancer strategy, the first of its kind since 2006. This work will set out a long-term strategic vision as well as national priorities to guide NHS planning and the transformation of cancer care over the next decade. Our objective is simple, but significant: that more people survive cancer, that more cancers are diagnosed early, that access to care does not depend on where one lives, and that people receive timely, personalised support throughout their cancer journey. This same objective must be delivered for men diagnosed with prostate cancer, just as it must for everyone affected by cancer in Wales.
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
Mabon ap Gwynfor MSGwynedd Maldwyn
I recognise the anxiety that prostate cancer causes men and their families and why many would welcome screening. The Welsh Government follows the advice of the UK National Screening Committee and, at present, the committee does not recommend population screening for prostate cancer. However, it has recommended targeted screening for men between the ages of 45 and 61 who carry the BRCA2 gene and have a first-degree family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer. We have asked Public Health Wales to consider how this could be implemented in Wales.
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
Mabon ap Gwynfor MSGwynedd Maldwyn
What's being done about this?
Promises & Pledge Tracker
What do the Welsh Government want to do?
Does this need a new law or regulations?
How long will this take?
What do the Welsh Government want to do?

The Welsh Government is currently developing a national cancer strategy.

The Health Minister told Senedd members that the Welsh Government will continue to follow UK-level guidance not to offer prostate cancer screening, except to men identified as being at higher risk of developing the disease.

He added that additional guidance may be given to GPs on how to share decisions with men who feel they are at risk of developing prostate cancer.

Does this need a new law or regulations?

No.

How long will this take?

A new national cancer strategy will be published this term.

What have the Senedd's Committees said?

Nothing has been discussed yet.

Committee Name

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Relevant Votes
DateMotion NumberSubjectTabled AsBinding Vote?Outcome
21/10/26NDM9334Include prostate cancer in new cancer strategy
NoAgreed (Unanimous)
Further Reading
  1. Public Health Wales (15th July 2026). “Cancer mortality in Wales“
  2. Medscape (1st December 2025). “Why the UK Advised Against Routine Prostate Screening“
  3. Public Health Wales. “Cancer incidence in Wales data“

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