Cambridgeshire support group backs calls for prostate cancer screening
A report on a national programme is being presented to the Government
A prostate cancer support group in Cambridgeshire has said more work is needed to find out how a screening process can save lives.
Prostate Cancer Research is presenting a report to Government today, showing how screening people in high-risk groups can prevent late diagnosis.
More than 12,000 men lose their lives each year because of the disease.
Don Gibbs is from the Cambridgeshire Prostate Cancer Support Association:
"I think there is optimism to be had," he said.
"We're getting 10 to 12,000 men dying every year of prostate cancer and we need to do something about that; any ideas to improve that have definitely got to be good."
In the report, the findings show that a national prostate cancer screening programme for high-risk groups, including black men and those with a family history of the disease, could reverse the rise in people getting diagnosed later, as well as prostate cancer deaths.
Prostate Cancer Research believe a programme like this could help the UK improve on its prostate cancer survival rates.
Unlike other cancers such as breast, bowel and cervical, there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer, something which Cancer Research UK says could be down to no reliable test available to diagnose for the disease that needs treatment at an early stage.
Sir Chris' diagnosis brings topic into spotlight
Prostate Cancer Research believes the existing 'informed choice' system, which requires men to actively request testing, is failing, which it believes is leading to men being diagnosed late.
The charity's report also investigated the impact of introducing new tests and AI-powered technologies into a universal screening programme for the general population aged 50 to 69-years-old.
Analysis showed this would lead to thousands of additional early diagnoses annually, improving survival rates and quality of life, and could deliver benefits to the UK economy of up to £223 million by boosting productivity, reducing healthcare costs, and easing the burden on the healthcare workforce.
Last month, six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy revealed he had terminal cancer, which started in his prostate.
Mr Gibbs believes the news could potentially encourage more people to get tested.
"I know Sir Chris has it and that has brought the topic forward; if you're going to have a screening programme, you've got to decide how you're going to do it, whether that's by age group or racial profiling," he added.
"The screening side of things is a different matter; at the moment, we've got to ask our GP if we can have a prostate cancer blood test.
"If you're looking at the most prevalent men aged 60-75, you could use AI and how the logistics of doing that (will work), I don't know."