A major trail carried out across Europe has revealed that 1 in every 8 men screened for prostate cancer will test positive, even when they have no traces of the disease. A positive result in a screening test can mean undergoing a biopsy and even an unnecessary treatment.

Screening for the disease via prostate specific antigen (PSA) is not generally offered in the UK, but Government experts are still busy reviewing findings of the study.

According to Cancer Research UK, men should discuss with their GPs the pros and cons of the procedure and screening.

"I don't think routine screening should be advised until more is known on the adverse effects and costs of screening. If a man has urinary tract symptoms and is concerned he could have prostate cancer, the most important thing is to consult a GP or a urologist", said study leader Dr Tuomas Kilpelainen.

Complete results from both the European research and a large study which is currently being carried out in the US are due for release this year, as confirmed by the Cancer Research UK.