THE NHS “needs to do much better” at diagnosing and treating prostate cancer, Wes Streeting said today.
The Health Secretary urged improvement as advisers prepare to decide this week on whether to offer screening to high-risk men.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the decision on prostate cancer screening must be led by scientific evidenceCredit: PA
Figures suggest only about half of are caught in the early, curable stages.
It is one of the with around 55,000 new cases per year and 12,000 deaths annually.
Mr Streeting is under pressure to for middle-aged men who are black, have a family history of prostate cancer or carry the high-risk BRCA gene, as these factors double the risk.
A letter signed by 125 MPs this week urged him to start screening even if scientists on the UK National Screening Committee are not sure.
We need to do much better on diagnosis and treatment of this terrible condition
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, told MPs the decision must be based on scientific evidence.
Some fear screening will lead some men to have treatment they did not need.
The Health Secretary said: “It’s important we have an evidence-based discussion to thrash out the arguments and reach the right way forward.
“I want to act quickly on the evidence and what the recommendations contain, not least because as well as being a prevalent form of cancer, there’s also some groups who are at higher risk.
“Black men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer than white men, so there’s an imperative to act.
“Whatever the recommendation, we need to do much better on and treatment of this terrible condition.”
said it would be “dangerous” for Mr Streeting to override the screening committee’s decision.
Policy director Dr Ian Walker said: “It is essential that decisions on screening are taken using the best evidence available, considering both the benefits and unintended harms.”
One in eight men will get prostate cancer
The risk of developing prostate cancer depends on many factors, here are some of the facts about the disease and how many men it affects.
- One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime
- It is the fourth most common cancer worldwide, and the most common in men
- There are 55,000 new cases every year in the UK, and 1.4million globally
- Around 12,000 people lose their lives to prostate cancer annually in the UK and almost 400,000 around the world
- Prostate cancer accounts for 28 per cent of all new cancer cases in men in the UK, and 14 per cent of all new cancer cases in men and women combined
- Prostate cancer survival has tripled in the last 50 years in the UK
- More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of patients survive for 10 or more years
- About 490,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer in the UK
- It is most common in men aged 75 to 79
- Since the early 1990s, cases have increased by 53 per cent in the UK
- Mortality rates are up 16 per cent since the early 1970s in the UK
- Incidence rates are projected to rise by 15 per cent in the UK between 2023 to 2025 and 2038 to 2040
- Mortality rates are expected to fall five per cent in the UK over the same years
Source: Prostate Cancer UK , World Cancer Research Fund International and Cancer Research UK
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
