Prostate cancer continues to be the “neglected disease” according to leading healthcare professionals, who recently formed the Brachytherapy Advisory Group. They claim it is being treated as a lower priority than other major cancers –despite being one of the most common. They are particularly concerned that patients continue to encounter a “postcode lottery” system when seeking treatment that could minimise the risks of impotence and incontinence after surgery.
A Professor of Urology at St Luke’s Cancer Centre, in Guildford, Stephen Langley told Clinical Services Journal that a number of PCTs still refuse to fund Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy, despite the fact it is approved by NICE and the Department of Health supports its increased usage. For patients with early, localised cancer, the procedure has similar survival rates as surgery, but carries less risk to quality of life for the patient. It is claimed that 1 in 6 are currently being denied the treatment.
Calls for better access are now gaining support from leading MPs in the House of Commons – sponsored by Dr Ian Gibson MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer at Westminster. He commented: "All people with cancer should have access to the right choice of treatment for their condition and circumstances. I hope that the new Cancer Reform Strategy will bring an end to postcode lotteries for people with cancer and allow men with prostate cancer to feel as satisfied with their treatment and care as people with other cancers."
Dr Chris Parker from The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital, also hit out at the neglect this form of cancer received, at a major conference on prostate cancer, organised by the Royal Society of Medicine. He said he was appalled at the lack of clinical trials for men with the disease.
"Every year 32, 000 British men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK. But because of a legacy of under-investment in prostate cancer clinical trials in the past, we now know less about the best way of treating patients compared with many other cancers."
At the conference, in association with The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action, he announced one of the largest trials to date. RADICALS is a new study for men who have had their prostate removed because of cancer.
"In the case of prostate cancer," says Dr Parker, Chief Investigator of the trial "We don't know whether extra treatment should be given routinely after the operation. This study will tell us. Men who are due to have surgery for prostate cancer should expect their doctor to talk with them about joining the trial after the operation."
RADICALS will recruit over 4,000 men from all over the UK and from Canada. The trial will be run by the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, London, and is funded by Cancer Research UK.
At the same time, cancer research in this area has just received another boost from the Prostate Cancer Charity, which has pledged an injection of £800,000. Grants will be provided for a range of projects to investigate:
· The development of a possible drug treatment for aggressive prostate cancer.
· Gene therapy for advanced prostate cancer.
· A study of tissue markers of prostate cancer behaviour.
· A new method for early determination of aggressive prostate cancer.
· A new target for the prevention of prostate cancer spreading to bone.
· Sensitising prostate cancer to irradiation and docetaxel chemotherapy.
