Tackle’s Board of Trustees developed their statement on Prostate Cancer’s National Screening; here’s what they have to say.
Being diagnosed with cancer, or even suspecting you may have it, is one of the most vulnerable moments in life. It can be a frightening, isolating, and incredibly difficult time. For those with prostate cancer, the journey to diagnosis is further complicated by the absence of a national screening programme and the inequalities in access to care and treatment.
Whenever the debate about screening rages, the one thing that is always overlooked is the huge harm of late diagnosis on the man and his family. Personal, emotional and economic harms are huge. Costs to the NHS are significant as well.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, affecting 1 in 8 men and 1 in 4 if you are a black man. It is, therefore, disappointing that in the UK, we still have no effective way to routinely screen men who are at risk of this disease.
Whilst there are concerted efforts being made towards national screening, there is little comfort for those being diagnosed too late. We pledge our skills and resources to lobby national government to work towards a national screening programme at pace, whilst concurrently concentrating our resources to support those through their prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
