END THE NEEDLESS PROSTATE DEATHS
therapy – stereotactic ablative radiother- apy – that causes far fewer side effects.
Funding will go into a technique called high-intensity focused ultrasound which uses energy to heat and destroy prostate cancer tumours.
Researchers are also looking at whether exercise and diet regimes can prevent and treat prostate cancer.
Some of the trials will aim to develop techniques to eradicate tumours in men with advanced prostate cancer. However, the main aim is to develop tests capable of spotting the disease early on, when it is easy to treat.
Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men and one in eight will develop it at some point in their lifetime.
With 47,200 cases a year and 11,800 deaths, it has just overtaken breast cancer as the third biggest cancer killer.
For nearly two decades this newspaper has campaigned to transform society’s approach to prostate cancer, previously labelled the ‘forgotten disease’.
Last night, the Prime Minister said: ‘I pay tribute to the Daily Mail’s long-running campaign on prostate cancer.
‘It has been hugely significant in raising the profile of this disease, and drawing attention both to the risks of the condition and the importance of early diagnosis.’
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘Prostate cancer claims too many lives every year and our ability to detect and treat it in the very early stages is crucial in fighting this disease.
‘The plans announced today will refocus our efforts to develop new treatments and will give men with prostate cancer, and their families, hope of survival.
‘The NHS is a world leader in fighting cancer and survival rates are at record highs but there is still more to do.’
The new funding will be allocated by the NHS’s National Institute for Health Research based on which trials show the most promise.
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘ With increased research investment used wisely, over the next few years we can turn this around and make prostate cancer a disease men no longer need to fear.’
Many men put off seeing their GP because of embarrassment.
SINCE launching our ‘ Dying of Embarrassment’ campaign nearly 20 years ago, the Mail has worked passionately to raise awareness of prostate cancer. It has been a difficult road – partly because of official neglect and partly due to the reluctance of men to have check-ups – and, depressingly, prostate cancer deaths reached a record high of 11,800 last year.
But today’s intervention by the Prime Minister gives us at least a glimmer of hope. Investing £75million to develop earlier diagnosis and better treatment and recruiting 40,000 men to take part in several major trials could eventually make a huge difference to survival rates.
We applaud Mrs May and thank her for her generous tribute to the Mail campaign. And we hope this will be just the first step towards finally giving this ‘ forgotten disease’ the attention it deserves.