Men seek prostate cancer checks after pandemic hiatus

PROSTATE cancer checks have hit an all-time high after warnings that thousands of cases of the disease have been missed during the pandemic.

The number of urgent referrals for urological cancers rose by a quarter in March after an awareness campaign encouraged men to check their risk.

A record 24,331 men were checked in one month, a rise of 23 per cent on the previous month, and by 30 per cent on the same month last year, data showed.

It followed an NHS and Prostate Cancer UK campaign that began in February, after analysis found there were 14,000 fewer diagnoses of the disease during the pandemic and it was the cancer most likely to have been missed, comprising a third of missed cancers.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said: “Seeking advice if you have any concerns could stop the disease in its tracks and … save your life.”

A 10-year plan to tackle cancer due to be published this summer would focus on early diagnosis and innovative treatments, he added.