Research shows new blood test can identify prostate cancer patients best suited for ‘riskier’ treatment
How many people does it kill?
More than 11,800 men in Britain – or one every 45 minutes – die from the disease every year, compared to around 11,400 women who die from breast cancer.
It means prostate cancer is behind only the lungs and bowels in the number of people it kills in Britain.
In the US, the disease kills 26,000 men every year.
Despite this, it receives less than half of breast cancer research funding and treatments for the disease are at least a decade behind schedule.
How many men are diagnosed annually?
More than 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year – more than 140 every day.
How quickly does it develop?
Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs that someone has it for years NHS.
If the cancer is in its early stages and is not causing symptoms, a policy of ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active surveillance’ may be implemented.
Some patients can be cured if the disease is treated at an early stage.
But if the diagnosis is made at a later stage, when the disease has spread, the disease becomes terminal and treatment revolves around relieving the symptoms.
Thousands of men are deterred from seeking a diagnosis because of the treatment’s known side effects, including erectile dysfunction.
Testing and treatment
Tests for prostate cancer are haphazard, and accurate tools are only just beginning to appear.
There is no national prostate screening program because the tests have been too inaccurate for years.
Doctors have difficulty distinguishing between aggressive and less serious tumors, making it difficult to decide on treatment.
Men over 50 are eligible for a ‘PSA’ blood test, which gives doctors a rough idea of a patient’s risk.
But it is unreliable. Patients who get a positive result usually have a biopsy, which is also not foolproof.
Scientists aren’t sure what causes prostate cancer, but age, obesity and lack of exercise are known risks.
Anyone with concerns can speak to the specialist nurses at Prostate Cancer UK on 0800 074 8383 or visit prostatecancer.org
