Wes Streeting is under mounting pressure to launch a prostate cancer screening programme for all high-risk men despite advisors today rejecting the proposal.
Charities, patients and MPs say the health secretary should 'show leadership' and use his powers to defy the bombshell recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee.
They warn a failure to act now will condemn thousands more men to avoidable deaths.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with 63,000 cases and 12,000 deaths each year - but unlike breast, bowel and lung cancer, there is currently no national screening programme.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an ambassador for the charity Prostate Cancer Research, described the committee's recommendation as 'deeply disappointing'.
'This is a missed opportunity to make a generational difference to male health, and to take a massive step towards tackling the most common cancer among British men.
'I applaud all those who have spoken out in support of a targeted screening programme for prostate cancer.
'I can assure them that the campaign goes on; we will not give up. No family should lose a father, a brother or a son unnecessarily.'
The Daily Mail is among those campaigning to end needless prostate cancer deaths and for a national prostate cancer screening programme, initially targeted at high risk men, such as those who are black, have a family history of the disease or particular genetic mutations.
The UKNSC met yesterday to consider the latest evidence on the costs and benefits of screening before delivering their draft conclusions to ministers.
They ruled out widespread population screening and checks targeted at those who are black or have a family history of disease, despite these groups facing a higher risk.
Instead, they advised focusing only on those with particular genetic mutations, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which accounts for a mere three men in 1,000.
Half of men with these mutations will develop prostate cancer over their lifetime and a third of men with these mutations will develop 'aggressive' prostate cancer.
The UKNSC wants this cohort to be offered a PSA blood test every two years from the ages of 45 to 61, which means around 30,000 could be eligible.
The decision to exclude almost the entire population of men comes after a major study last month showed prostate screening slashes their risk of dying from the disease by 13 per cent, with one death prevented for every 456 men checked - a figure that is comparable to existing breast and bowel cancer screening programmes.
The panel say the PSA test is not accurate enough for population-wide use and could 'cause more harm than good', with too many men undergoing unnecessary biopsies or treatment.
But prostate cancer charities say advances in NHS treatments and diagnostic procedures, which now includes modern MRI scanners, have significantly lowered these risks.
The draft guidance from the committee will now be subject to a 12 week public consultation, during which time other experts and interested parties can submit additional evidence for consideration.
This will be reviewed by the Committee before they issue their final recommendation in March.
Ministers usually follow the advice of the UKNSC but have the power to defy them if they believe they have got it wrong.
Mr Streeting told MPs on Tuesday he would consider the conclusions 'carefully' and thrash out the arguments to 'reach the right way forward'.
He today vowed to bring together his own group of experts with differing views before reaching a decision, leaving a glimmer of hope that targeted screening could still be rolled out on a larger scale.
Mr Streeting said: 'I have always said I want to see screening in place for the most common cancer in men, provided this is backed by evidence.
'I want to change the NHS so it diagnoses earlier and treats faster. That aim will be balanced against the harms that wider screening could cause to men.'
'I will examine the evidence and arguments in this draft recommendation thoroughly, bringing together those with differing views, ahead of the final recommendation in March.'
Nick Jones, the founder of Soho House and a leading campaigner for prostate cancer screening following his own diagnosis, said: 'It's now up to Wes Streeting who needs to take the lead and do the right thing.
'Black men and those in other high-risk groups deserve the right to an NHS targeted screening program that will save thousands of lives.
'Wes - over to you.'
And Sir Stephen Fry, who has campaigned for a screening programme after being treated for prostate cancer, said: 'I'm deeply disappointed by today's news.
'Men in the UK deserve so much better... I hope the country sees sense.'
Men still have a right to ask their GP for a PSA blood test that can detect early signs of prostate cancer.
Experts are waiting to see data from a large trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK last week into whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, could lead to a recommendation for population-wide screening.
The UKNSC said it will work closely with this Transform trial to gather more data. It is hoped the results will be ready within two years.
Laura Kerby, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'The committee's decision will come as a blow to the tens of thousands of men, loved ones and families who've fought for a screening programme.
'Today we're deeply disappointed, but as determined as ever, and it won't slow us down.
'People are sick and tired of seeing the men they love harmed by this disease, and we won't rest until no man's diagnosis is left to chance.'
'We know that a mass screening programme could save thousands of men's lives.'
'While screening men with BRCA gene variations will save only a fraction of that, the committee's decision is the first time they've recommended screening of any kind for prostate cancer.'
'It shows that research and evidence can shift the dial and save men's lives.'
Prostate Cancer Research said the recommendation was a 'missed opportunity' and the 'historical harms' associated with screening, such as unnecessary biopsies, have been dramatically reduced by modern 'MRI-first techniques'.
Its chief executive Oliver Kemp said: 'Today's decision to recommend screening to BRCA variant carriers does not go far enough.
'It is a missed opportunity for other high-risk groups, including black men and men with family history.
'We are failing these groups and entrenching inequalities further by not providing them with the best chance of having their disease caught early - when they are more likely to survive.
'There is still time for the Government to reconsider this decision for all high-risk men, as further delays will continue to condemn the lives of thousands more.'
The UKNSC said it was working with the NHS on ways to find men who may be BRCA carriers, also known as the 'Angelina Jolie gene' after the Girl, Interrupted actress, who had her breasts and ovaries removed when her mother died of ovarian cancer and she learned she was a carrier.
At present, men may become aware they have the fault when a woman in their family with breast cancer tests positive for BRCA.
More than 120 MPs signed a letter to Mr Streeting on Monday saying a prostate cancer screening programme would be a 'legacy-defining advance for men's health'
And David Cameron, another former Conservative prime minister, revealed on Sunday that he has been treated for prostate cancer as he gave his backing to routine checks.
A poll 3,000 UK adults published on the eve of the crunch decision found nine in ten people want a prostate cancer screening programme.