Men are being denied tests “that could save their daughters”, says the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, which wants BRCA testing funded more liberally for men with prostate cancer.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are linked to a 5-10% absolute rise in lifetime prostate cancer risk, despite being more famously linked to breast cancer.

Medical oncologist Dr Tahlia Scheinberg says that in an ideal world, all patients with metastatic prostate cancer would undergo testing to identify the potential risk to their relatives and for somatic purposes.

But the world is not ideal. Currently, men can only access Medicare-funded testing if they have metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer.