This letter was not published in the Times Sir, The European Study of Prostate Cancer Screening after 23 years follow up, demonstrated an excess of 27/1000 prostate cancers in the screened group compared with the untested controls. Mortality from prostate cancer was 1.4% in the screened group compared with 1.6% in the control group, a difference of 2/1000. During this period, close on 50% of all participants died of other causes. The authors conclude, "The associated risks of overdiagnosis and unnecessary interventions remain considerable. Future screening strategies should focus on risk-based approaches to minimize these harms while maintaining the benefits." Nowhere does the paper say screening for prostate cancer would save thousands. Professor Michael Baum