KEETCH EXPRESSES CONCERN THAT PROSTATE CANCER CARE IS 'LEFT TO CHANCE'

10.48.50am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2008

Access to late-stage prostate cancer care for residents in Hereford shouldn't be left to chance, according to Paul Keetch MP.

Paul Keetch MP signed a House of Commons' motion supporting a campaign calling for more effective ways of treating patients suffering with late-stage prostate cancer.

Paul Keetch acted after it emerged that 7 out of 10 men with advanced prostate cancer do not receive a full choice of treatment options including chemotherapy, despite being eligible and likely to benefit from the treatments.

The '7 out of 10' campaign, which is launched by sanofi-aventis and supported by a number of leading clinicians, both urologists and oncologists, aims to encourage all men with prostate cancer to know their treatment options and ensure patients receive better access to treatment. The campaign highlights that while some men may have been offered chemotherapy and turned it down, others are never given the option at all.

According to Cancer Research UK, each year around 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 10,000 men die from the disease.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended chemotherapy as a treatment option for men in the last stages of the disease where the tumour has spread and it has stopped responding to initial hormone treatment.

Paul Keetch MP, signing the early day motion, said: "Prostate cancer is not often given the attention it deserves. It is shocking that the vast majority of men in the last stages of the disease are not getting the treatment they are entitled to. Clearly this is unacceptable and we need to understand why this is happening.

"I am therefore writing to my local PCT to ensure the systems are in place to assess patients at the right time and ensure they are being given the information to make the best choice for themselves. Access to prostate cancer care shouldn't be left to chance."

In its recent guideline on prostate cancer published earlier this year, NICE acknowledged that its guidance on managing late-stage prostate cancer patients was not being fully implemented.

The 7 out of 10 campaign is the first public campaign targeted at improving care for men with late-stage prostate cancer.