Doctors accused of failure to highlight family history of prostate cancer

♦ GPS are leaving patients with a family history of prostate cancer “completely blind” to the serious dangers they face, a leading charity has warned.

Men whose father or brothers suffered from the disease are 2.5 times more likely to develop it, and should be monitored more closely.

But research by Prostate Cancer UK found that just one in 10 GPS was likely to ask patients about their family histories – even though 91 per cent were aware of the added risks.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of men whose relatives had suffered from the disease had no idea of the danger they could be facing as a result of inheriting harmful genes, researchers found.

Angela Culhane, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We need men to feel empowered to take control of their own health, find out their family history and pro-actively ask their GP whether they need tests for the disease due to their risk of developing it.

“Too many men are walking around completely blind to the serious danger they could face. This must change.”

Each year more than 40,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and around 11,000 die from the disease.