Prostate cancer last in research funding league

Breast cancer gets twice as much cash

PROSTATE cancer – the most common form of the disease in men – is bottom of the league for research spending, figures reveal.

The disease lies in 20th place, with just over £400 spent on research per case diagnosed. By comparison, breast cancer, the most common cancer in women, receives more than twice as much funding at £853 per diagnosed case.

The league table of funding for various types of cancer shows prostate cancer is ‘not on the radar’ for research spending.

Just £17million was spent by government and charitable sources in 2011, which works out at £417 for each of the 40,841 men diagnosed with the disease that year.

In contrast, breast cancer has the highest research funding of any cancer at £41.6million, with leukaemia receiving the most per patient (£3,903).

Prostate cancer kills one man every hour and the number of men with the disease is rising at an alarming rate.

It is predicted to become the most common cancer in the UK by 2030.

Owen Sharp, chief executive of charity Prostate Cancer UK, which compiled the table, said: ‘ Men in the UK have a problem and they don’t want to talk about it. Neither do the wives and partners who will end up supporting them, the doctors who will treat them, nor the politicians who will count on their vote.

‘Prostate cancer is simply not on the radar in the UK. Even though it kills one man every hour, that’s 10,000 men each year, most men and women don’t know enough about it.

‘We need to follow the lead of the successful female movement against breast cancer and create a real change for men.’

‘This is a call to arms’

Comedian Bill Bailey is fronting Prostate Cancer UK’s new Sledgehammer Fund fundraising campaign in a series of television, digital and print adverts after his father-in-law survived the disease.

He said: ‘I feel very strongly about this.

‘I read a news article about the number of men affected by prostate cancer and I was shocked by the figures.

‘I had no idea it was so common – but, if caught early enough, can be successfully treated. Blokes are not always good at taking care of themselves and, even if they know they have a health problem, they often don’t want to talk about it – or they just hope it will go away.

‘ I hope the advert that I’ve made for Prostate Cancer UK will get men talking about prostate cancer and their prostates.

‘ The charity wants to raise more money for research because there’s a need for better treatments and better ways of diagnosing prostate cancer – so the deadlier tumours are caught, before it’s too late.’

Mr Bailey added: ‘ My father-inlaw was diagnosed with prostate cancer, treated, and now leads a fulfilling life so it can be done – but over 10,0-00 men every year in the UK are not so lucky.’

A fund called The Sledgehammer Fund aims to generate cash to support Prostate Cancer UK’s work to increase research spend into the disease, as well as improve the support men receive.

Mr Sharp added: ‘We are going to need a very big sledgehammer to crack prostate cancer.

‘This is more than a campaign. It is a call to arms and we are delighted that Bill Bailey is joining us and leading the charge. Men deserve better.’