GFCT held its 2025 conference on Thursday 23rd October at Warwick Racecourse, welcoming over 100 delegates from across the UK. The day was filled with inspiring talks, thought-provoking discussions, and expert insights on prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment, and men’s health — all united by a shared goal of improving awareness, prevention, and early detection.
Celebrating Growth and Charity Goals
The day began with an opening address from CEO Susan Hart, who reflected on an incredible year for the charity. She shared that 2024-25 is on track to reach a record-breaking 80,000 PSA and other health tests, marking a major milestone in GFCT’s mission to make proactive testing more accessible.
Founder Graham Fulford MBE followed with an inspiring look ahead, outlining the charity’s 2026 goal to reach 500,000 PSA tests completed to date. He emphasised that this achievement is truly a team effort, with 30–40% of tests delivered by prostate cancer support groups and community partners.
Graham also discussed ongoing initiatives to help NHS hospitals access biopsy and MRI scanning equipment, either through donations or discounted schemes with partners like Vista Health, to support faster and more accurate diagnosis.
Diagnosis, Treatment & NHS Pressures
Dr Steve Allen, retired consultant anaesthetist and NICE Patient Representative, delivered an engaging presentation on advancements in prostate cancer treatments, focusing on improving accuracy and patient outcomes.
This was followed by a powerful talk from Dr Israr Khan, Lead Consultant Surgeon for Humberside and North Lincolnshire, who spoke candidly about the daily pressures faced by NHS clinicians and the emotional toll of delivering “bad news clinics” for men diagnosed too late. Dr Khan’s talk underscored the urgent need for more resources and workforce support, noting the shortage of radiologists, pathologists, and urologists and how these gaps directly affect patient care.
Focal Therapy & Treatment Awareness
Before lunch, prostate cancer survivor and Prost8 Founder, Paul Sayer, gave a passionate presentation highlighting the need for more Focal Therapy Treatment Centres outside of London. He shared his personal journey of discovering non-invasive treatments like HIFU, which were not offered to him through the NHS at the time. Paul stressed that while focal therapy isn’t suitable for everyone, men deserve to be fully informed about all available treatment options, not only those currently provided by the NHS.
Research, Lifestyle & Men’s Health
Following a lively networking lunch, David Eldred-Evans delivered a compelling presentation on the TRANSFORM trial, a £42 million UK-government- and Prostate Cancer UK-supported study designed to determine the most effective prostate-cancer screening methods. He discussed key challenges: contamination from men who’ve had a PSA test within the last five years (which could invalidate parts of the trial) and the long timeline (spanning up to 20 years) by which point diagnosis pathways and treatments are likely to have evolved. He emphasised that the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) is relying on this trial’s data to decide whether to roll out a national screening programme. He also addressed the main resistance: broader screening could result in diagnosing more men, some of whom may have indolent disease, but then subjecting them to life-changing treatments they may not have needed. We discussed interim options: whether screening should begin immediately with high-risk groups or if broader rollout will wait until full evidence emerges.
Professor Ken Muir from Manchester University presented an update on joint research initiatives based on GFCT’s PSA testing data. His talk explored connections between PSA testing, genetics, and overall health outcomes - including links between exercise, blood markers, and dementia risk. An interactive audience poll wrapped up his session, revealing fascinating insights into attitudes toward PSA testing and health awareness.
To close the day, GP Dr Asif Naseem gave an engaging and practical talk on men’s health and the power of simple lifestyle choices, such as regular walking, for improving both physical and mental well-being. He emphasised the importance of open, stigma-free conversations between men and their GPs and shared details of his private service, which supports those struggling to access timely care through the NHS.
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you goes to all speakers, organisers, and attendees who made the day such a success, and to Warwick Racecourse for hosting us in their excellent facilities.
View our photo gallery here: https://tgfct.org.uk/news/gallery
All presentation slides will be available next week.