ONE MAN DIES FROM PROSTATE CANCER EVERY 53 MINUTES IN THE UK YET GOVERNMENT FAILS TO MEET PROSTATE C

Added: (Wed Sep 26 2001)

Pressbox (Press Release) - CPC

COALITION FOR PROSTATE CANCER
‘United Against Prostate Cancer’

ONE MAN DIES FROM PROSTATE CANCER EVERY 53 MINUTES IN THE UK YET GOVERNMENT FAILS TO MEET PROSTATE CANCER PROGRAMME

London, 26th September: The Coalition for Prostate Cancer welcomes the positive steps taken by the Government to date but believes that it is still failing to meet the targets set out in its Prostate Cancer Programme. One year on from the Coalition’s petition to Downing Street calling for greater funding and access to information on prostate cancer, men in the UK are still waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment and do not have easy access to adequate information about the disease.

At its annual conference today the Coalition for Prostate Cancer is calling on the Government to deliver all of the targets outlined in the Prostate Cancer Programme launched in September 2000. One man dies from prostate cancer every 53 minutes in the UK. The United Kingdom lags behind Europe and the USA in terms of survival of the disease with only 46% of the 20,000+ men diagnosed in the UK expecting to survive more than 5 years compared to an average of more than 80% in the USA.

The Government’s Prostate Programme states that any patient urgently referred with suspected prostate cancer should be seen by a specialist within two weeks. The Coalition welcomes this as it wants to see an increase in the number of men diagnosed with cancer early, as prostate cancer can be cured if it is caught early enough.

Unfortunately these targets are not being met as Coalition for Prostate Cancer representative Alan George explains: “At one London hospital men referred under the two-week rule wait for an average of 86 days for diagnosis, and 234 days following a routine referral. Urgent cases are not being referred in many cases because GPs are overworked and under-resourced – hence cancer is often not being identified early enough. This contrasts with Lord Hunt’s statement to the Lords in April that the NHS is sufficiently resourced to deal with additional demands resulting from the ‘Informed Choice Programme’.”

George Baker (Inspector Wexford in the ITV drama series) was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago. He says, “ Prostate cancer is a very treatable condition if it is caught early. The most important thing is that men need to be given the information to warn them of the disease so that if it is caught early they can expect a positive outcome. Hence, the Government also needs to make sure adequate treatment and facilities are available.”

The Coalition also wishes to see men given access to information on prostate cancer so that they can make a decision about being tested, which the Government was to deliver in its Informed Choice Programme. Education for men about their choices for treatment is vital. Men must know about the tests they can have for the disease and the treatment options available to them if the disease is to be caught early, to give them the best chances of survival.

The Coalition also highlights the urgent need for further research into more accurate tests to diagnose prostate cancer and assess its aggressiveness in order to ensure that the most appropriate treatment can be given.

Alan George added, ”The most appropriate platform for communicating with the general public is letting them know about the ‘Informed Choice Programme’. Although telling the public about this initiative was not promised, such a programme is of no value if men are not made aware of it. The Coalition encourages the public to find out more about prostate cancer and the options available to individuals.”

Ian Gibson MP, Chair of the All Party Group on Cancer, adds “I wholeheartedly support the work of the Coalition. The Government needs to be reminded that the job is not yet done. We need to provide the proper resources necessary to ensure that the best care, treatment and information are available to men and those close to them. This is a commitment that we must deliver on. There is too much at stake.”

-ENDS-