A UK-wide screening strategy is the only way to solve the ‘postcode lottery’ issues with prostate cancer diagnosis, a charity claims.
It insists the current system, whereby men over 50 can request a prostate-specific antigen test, leads to many cases being caught too late.
Prostate Cancer Research believes improvements to testing, including better scans and safer biopsies, mean the benefits now outweigh the risks, such as false positives and over-treatment.
It will hand into Downing Street today a petition, with more than 135,000 signatures, calling on the Government to implement a national screening scheme for the disease.
Oliver Kemp, from the charity, stated that failure to make this available to all men is costing lives.
Prostate Cancer Research believes improvements to testing, including better scans and safer biopsies, mean the benefits now outweigh the risks, such as false positives and over-treatment (stock photo)
He said: ‘Early detection is our most powerful weapon against prostate cancer, yet we’re failing to implement effective screening across the UK.
‘The current approach isn’t just inefficient, it’s unjust. We’re calling on the UK National Screening Committee and the Government to take advantage of recent technological advancements to rectify this.’
The charity claimed that a ‘national tragedy’ existed, meaning that survival prospects for the most common cancer among men could come down to where they live.
The Daily Mail, relaunching its End Needless Prostate Deaths campaign last year, revealed how men living in parts of the North East are almost six times more likely to be diagnosed after their cancer has spread than in the country’s top performing trusts.
The Prostate Cancer Research analysis also found patients in northern counties were significantly less likely to have access to cutting-edge diagnostics and treatment compared with the South.
This is despite research showing that treating men with advanced prostate cancer is typically four times as expensive as when it is caught early, costing up to £55,652 a year compared to £13,247 for men diagnosed before it has spread.
Professor Mike Kirby, from the British Association of Urological Surgeons, said: ‘Too many times have I seen the impact of late-stage prostate cancer diagnoses.
‘We need a more proactive approach to screening, especially for high-risk groups. While we must be mindful of over-diagnosis, changes to clinical practice have decreased the number of men over-treated and provides clear guidelines ensuring more consistent care across the country.’
Prostate Research UK insists the current system, whereby men over 50 can request a prostate-specific antigen test, leads to many cases being caught too late
The petition comes after the previous government launched the biggest screening initiative in 20 years. The £42million TRANSFORM trial will test the effectiveness of diagnosis techniques including MRIs when compared to the current standard, prostate-specific antigen blood test.
It is largely expected to lead to a national programme but there are fears this could take years – with thousands of men dying in the meantime.
The Mail has campaigned for more than two decades on improving prostate cancer outcomes.
A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘Too many cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment and we are determined to change that.
‘This includes finding the best way to screen for prostate cancer, which is why we are investing £16million towards the TRANSFORM screening trial to find ways to catch prostate cancer in men as early as possible.’
Prostate cancer is responsible for 14 per cent of all male cancer deaths and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the UK.
