Simply Prostate Cancer UK

Introducing www.simplyprostatecancer.co.uk, in-depth information about prostate cancer for UK healthcare professionals

Welcome to www.simplyprostatecancer.co.uk.

This site is intended to give UK healthcare professionals all the information they need about prostate cancer, including key facts and figures on the disease as well as treatment options and outcomes.

Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer among men, accounting for one quarter of all cancers diagnosed in the UK.1 Around 37,000 men in the UK were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008.1 Over the last 30 years, rates of prostate cancer have risen threefold, with more than half of the cases diagnosed in men over 70 year's old.1

Prostate cancer has been linked to deprivation in England, Wales and Scotland, with higher incidence rates in the least deprived areas.2 This is likely to be due to the accessibility and uptake of PSA testing.2

There are an estimated 253,000 men living in the UK with a diagnosis of prostate cancer.3 This is related to both a high incidence of prostate cancer and high five-year survival rates.2

In the 1970s, less than one-third of men diagnosed with prostate cancer survived more than five years.1 Today, the figure stands over 75%.1 Death rates from the disease peaked in the early 90s, but have since fallen by around 20%. In 2009, approximately 10,400 men died from prostate cancer in the UK.1 80% of prostate cancer deaths occur on men aged 70.1

The standard method for diagnosing prostate cancer is a biopsy; however, this is an invasive procedure.4 Although PSA testing has risen significantly over the past decade, a recent systematic review concluded that the test has a high rate of false positive and false negatives.4

The NICE Guidelines on prostate cancer recommend active surveillance for men with low-risk localised prostate cancer who are considered suitable for radical treatment.5 The guidelines also state that men undergoing radiotherapy for localised prostate cancer should receive a minimum dose of 74 Gy at no more than 2 Gy per fraction.5

Come back soon to www.simplyprostatecancer.co.uk

This website is currently in development, but we plan to launch soon. So keep an eye on www.simplyprostatecancer.co.uk over the following months for comprehensive information about prostate cancer for UK healthcare professionals.

References:

1. Prostate cancer statistics – Key Facts. Cancer Research UK. http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/prostate/. Date last accessed Jan 2012.
2. Prostate cancer – UK incidence statistics. Cancer Research UK. http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/prostate/incidence/. Date last accessed Jan 2012.
3. Maddams J, Brewster D, Gavin A et al. Cancer prevalence in the UK: estimates for 2008. Br J Cancer. 2009;101 (3):541-547.
4. Harvey P et al. A systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of prostate specific antigen. BMC Urology 2009; 9: 14.
5. NICE Guidelines. Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment CG58. Available from http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG58. Date last accessed Jan 2012.