§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress the Government has made in reducing the incidence of prostate cancer in the last five years; [133863]
(2) what his Department's strategy is for tackling prostate cancer. [133882]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonGood progress has been made since the National Health Service Prostate Cancer Programme was launched on 6 September 2000, setting out the Government's approach to improving prostate cancer services in England and Wales.
As part of the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP), evidence-based primary care resource packs were sent to all general practitioners in England from 23 September 2002 to aid them in counselling men who are worried about prostate cancer, ensuring the men make an informed choice about whether or not to have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.
Other elements of the PCRMP include ensuring that a systematic and standardised follow up pathway is available for individuals whose test result is above the PSA threshold and action to improve the quality of laboratory testing of PSA samples. Primary care and laboratories were informed of the related recommendations from the scientific reference group, which supports the PCRMP, in September 2002.
In 2003–04 the Department will be directly funding £4.2 million of research a year on prostate cancer. This compares with just £98,000 in 1996–97. Two National Cancer Research Institute prostate cancer research collaboratives have been established in Newcastle and London. Funded research includes studies on various treatments for prostate cancer, improving the PSA test and ethnic differences in prostate cancer incidence. The National Cancer Research Institute considered prostate cancer as part of its strategic analysis in 2002, but made no specific recommendations.
The Department has funded the following regarding public awareness:
Section 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to increase further information about prostate cancer.Section 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to improve awareness of the risks and symptoms of prostate cancer in African and Afro-Caribbean men in Britain.The database of individual patient experiences in prostate cancer. 97.5 per cent. of patients with suspected urological cancers (including prostate) were seen for their first out-patient appointment within two weeks of their general practitioner deciding they should be urgently referred, and the hospital receiving the referral within 24 hours, between April and July 2003.The cancer services collaborative is modernising cancer care, including prostate cancer, by reducing unnecessary delays in the system for patients throughout the cancer journey.
There has been an increase in the number of consultant urologists from 427 in 2001 to 466 to 2002, and is set to grow to 504 in 2005.
1138WThe incidence of prostate cancer has risen over the last five years. Much of this increase is thought to be due to an increased use of the PSA test and a lengthening of life expectancy.
Much has been achieved on prostate cancer since the Prostate Cancer Programme was launched, but we recognise that there is still much to be done. That is why we welcomed the launch of the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action on 29 January 2003, and set up the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group (PCAG) to ensure better collaboration and communication between the charter members and Government. PCAG is already taking forward work on information for prostate cancer patients, public awareness and a national prostate cancer resource website.