Hundreds of men's lives could be saved by a national prostate cancer screening programme in Ireland, it was today claimed.
Following a pilot screening of more than 2,000 men in the construction industry, 36 were diagnosed and treated for the cancer.
The Construction Workers Health Trust which said the figure was higher than expected and highlighted the need for a national screening programme.
Dr Harold Brenner, medical director of the trust, said that although just construction workers were targeted in the tests they were representative of the nation.
"It indicates that there are a lot of people around Ireland between the ages of 50 and 69 who have undetected prostate cancer," he said.
"Construction workers are no more prone to get prostate cancer than men in general, so the results could be extended to give an indication for the country."
He said of the 2,145 men who were screened, 115 went for further tests, 67 were biopsied and 36 were diagnosed with cancer.
"The figure was higher than we expected," he said.
The test was originally offered to 8,000 workers aged 50-69 in the construction industry.
Dr Brenner added: "The results add somewhat to other people's calls for a national screening programme."
He said plans for a national programme were being looked at but could take a while to implement due to the high cost of the tests.
The trust said 1,200 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year. About 500 people die annually as a result, many of whom it said could be saved by early diagnosis.
PA