World must ‘start screening for prostate cancer to stop men being left behind'
Every country should have a strategy for tackling prostate cancer with dedicated screening programs for men over 50, a leading health charity has said.
Global Action on Men's Health, the leading international charity for men's health, is calling for prostate cancer – now the third most common cancer worldwide – to be dramatically elevated on the health agenda.
On Monday it will launch a campaign to encourage all countries with adequate resources, including the UK, to launch national screening for the disease in a bid to cut unnecessary deaths.
It will also call for the World Health Organization (WHO) to introduce a Global Prostate Cancer Initiative which 'covers every stage of the prostate cancer pathway from prevention to palliative care'.
Prostate cancer is now the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in 112 countries and the leading cause of cancer death among men in 48 countries.
In England, it is now the most common cancer, killing some 12,000 men every year, according to Prostate Cancer UK.
Writing in today's Telegraph, Peter Baker, the director of Global Action on Men's Health, said that men were being short-changed when it comes to healthcare.
'Men's health has been neglected for far too long with devastating consequences,' he writes. 'Globally, men's life expectancy lags five years behind women's. Men are significantly more likely to develop and die from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and tuberculosis. They are also at much greater risk of dying from suicide or an accident on the roads or at work.'
Mr Baker calls for reform across health care systems – ensuring men have better access to GPs, for instance – and believes that a focus on prostate cancer is a good place to start.
Rapid advances in screening technologies now mean that developed nations should soon be able to launch screening programs that will cut death rates by a third or more and reduce the dramatic social inequalities associated with the disease.
Men with a family history of prostate cancer run a significantly higher genetic risk of developing prostate cancer, as do black men. Men from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are also much harder hit, due to a combination of poor health literacy and access to healthcare.
The European Commission recently recommended introducing national prostate cancer screening across all 27 member states of the European Union, and already countries including Sweden and Norway have either launched or are on the brink of launching national screening programs.
While blood tests for prostate cancer, known as prostate-specific antigen tests (PSA), have been available for many years, they throw up a large number of false positives.
This in turn led to many unnecessary prostate removals and biopsies being performed, meaning the risks outweighed the benefits of running national screening programmes.
But now, with the advent of more specific blood tests and high resolution MRI scans, which allow for much more accurate biopsies, the balance has changed, with several high quality studies showing the benefit of screening.
The largest of these studies was the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), which included over 182,000 men and showed a 20 per cent reduction in prostate cancer mortality among those screened.
Another study in Gothenburg, Sweden, found that after 18 years of follow-up, men in the screening group were 35 per cent less likely to die from prostate cancer than men who were not screened. Men who started screening at age 55-59 were 53 per cent less likely to die.
Professor Jonas Hugosson, a urologist at University of Gothenburg in Sweden who led the Swedish study, said he expected national screening for prostate cancer to be rolled out across most western European nations in the next few years.
In Sweden a move to nationwide screening was already progressing and in Norway he expected a national screening program to be announced shortly, he said. However, just as with the roll out of breast cancer screening more than three decades ago, it would take most countries many years to gear up.
'In my view, we have quite a new situation today, and I think it's time for the health authorities to take a new standpoint,' he said.
'I'm quite sure about that and we will see screening come all over Europe during the coming years, but it takes 10 years to build up, at least.'
'Alarming and unacceptable' rise in cases
The NHS in England does not have a dedicated men's health strategy but one has been promised by the end of the year by the new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.
Although the new strategy is unlikely to include the imminent launch of a national screening program for prostate cancer – the UK currently does not have the MRI machines and trained staff needed to launch one – it may include screening for high risk groups.
These include black men, who have double the normal risk, and men with a family history of prostate and related cancers – including breast and ovarian cancer on the female side.
In October last year, six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, 49, revealed that he had terminal prostate cancer. Both his father and grandfather had the disease but his was not caught by early testing, sparking an outcry.
'The rapid rise in prostate cancer cases is not just alarming, it is also unnecessary and therefore unacceptable,' said Global Action on Men's Health. 'Prostate cancer is currently inadequately addressed in global and national cancer policies'.
In addition to national testing where possible, the charity is calling for the WHO to support a new Global Prostate Cancer Initiative covering 10 areas.
These include governments being urged to introduce national cancer plans which specifically address prostate cancer with clear performance indicators, education programmes to raise awareness and tackle stigma, and investments in research, infrastructure, workforce development and treatments for prostate cancer.
The WHO does not currently have a programme that focuses specifically on prostate cancer but 'integrates' it to its wider program for tackling cancer more generally.
Cervical cancer, in contrast, has a dedicated programme dedicated to its global eradication but that is because the HPV vaccine makes it possible to wipe out the disease completely.
Dr André Ilbawi, technical lead for cancer control at the WHO, welcomed the prostate campaign launched by Global Action on Men's Health, and said the disease was moving up the WHO's agenda.
The organisation had just five countries involved in its cancer programme in 2015 to but has 100 today.
'We see prostate cancer as a priority and, in 2023, elevated it in our guidance because it can be treated,' said Dr IIbawi.
'If treatment is available, survival is extremely high. And if treatments are not available, those men will die.
'We agree that prostate cancer should be seen in the cancer agenda as high impact, cost-effective and meeting community needs'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Sun
Over half of Brits feel lonely at least once a month… but are ashamed to admit it, study shows
OVER half of Brits feel lonely at least once a month – but are ashamed to admit it. A poll of 2,000 adults revealed 56 per cent would rarely or never consider talking to someone else about how isolated they felt. 2 Reasons for this included not wanting to burden others (37 per cent), not believing anyone else will understand (21 per cent), and not wanting to appear vulnerable (21 per cent). This may be a reflection on the strength of their support networks, as a quarter (24 per cent) described theirs as lacking – and a further 13 per cent didn't have one at all. Instead, those who feel lonely are likely to distract themselves through entertainment, such as watching TV (47 per cent), going on social media (22 per cent), or listening to the radio (19 per cent). The research was commissioned by audio brand, Pure, which is partnering with Marmalade Trust, a Bristol -based charity dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and helping people build meaningful connections. As part of this partnership and in support of Loneliness Awareness Week, Pure will be donating 150 radios to individuals across the UK who are looking for support through a period of loneliness. Dr Lalitaa [COR], behaviouralist psychologist and expert in emotional wellbeing, commented: 'Loneliness remains a taboo subject, often shrouded in shame and stigma. 'But human connection is a basic psychological need – one that's increasingly difficult to fulfil in today's fast-paced, digital world. 'It's encouraging to see initiatives like this that provide simple, tangible comfort and help people feel part of something again.' Tara Fisher, COO from Marmalade Trust added: "Loneliness is a natural human emotion that we are all likely to experience in our lifetime. 'But there is still a stigma around loneliness, which means a significant portion of the population are reluctant to speak about these feelings to others – either because they don't feel they have anyone to talk to or are worried about doing so.' Despite these feelings of shame around loneliness, nearly eight in 10 (79 per cent) acknowledged it as a common phenomenon among the general population. Women were also found to feel lonelier than men – with only 16 per cent of women saying they never feel lonely, compared to 26 per cent of men. But perceptions about the generations most affected were not entirely accurate – with 19 per cent of all respondents believing the Silent Generation (born 1928-1945) is impacted the most by loneliness. However, Gen Zs (born 1996-2011) specifically reported feeling lonelier than any other age group, with one third feeling this way a few times a week and 11 per cent even experiencing this every single day. This compares to 19 per cent of the whole population dealing with this a few times a week and only six per cent every day. Worries about being judged (25 per cent) and dismissed (21 per cent) were also higher among Gen Zs – as were desires to socialise more (53 per cent) and make more friends (42 per cent). This compares to the 'famously lonely' Silent Generation – four in 10 of whom reported usually only going an hour maximum without speaking to someone else. A fifth of all those asked agreed on one day as the limit for not speaking to another person before feeling lonely – yet 23 per cent go this long, or longer, without talking to anyone regularly. Regionally, Londoners were most likely to report feeling lonely – with 33 per cent of those living in the capital saying they feel lonely at least a few times a week. Nearly four in 10 (39 per cent) of all respondents also claimed to feel lonelier now than they did five years ago, primarily because it's now harder to meet people. Other reasons included changes in personal relationships (23 per cent), financial stress (22 per cent), and lower self-esteem (20 per cent). The top locations people reported feeling lonely were also established as at home alone (59 per cent), in a crowd (27 per cent), and when having a meal by themselves (26 per cent). Perhaps to stave off this lonely feeling, over half (52 per cent) are more likely to listen to the radio when at home alone, according to data. Other than listening to the news and their favourite music, 38 per cent utilise their broadcast boxes for background noise (38 per cent), company (20 per cent), and making the house feel less quiet (19 per cent). A further 16 per cent specified listening to the radio helps them to feel less lonely, with 15 per cent liking to hear the sound of other people's voices, and 13 per cent enjoying being part of the conversation. Stations providing the best company were also identified as pop music (30 per cent), oldies music (24 per cent), and talk radio stations (21 per cent). Hubert Eiter, spokesperson for Pure, which is donating £5 for every Pure radio sold between June 9 – July 9, 2025 in support of Marmalade Trust, said: 'Pure has been active in supporting loneliness charities over many years and we are proud to partner with the Marmalade Trust this year. 'It's great to see that everyday listening can bring a lot of comfort to people, as it has the power to immediately make a room feel livelier and less quiet – we love the fact that radio is able to provide some company for those who feel lonely from time to time.' 2
Daily Mirror
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'Boil in the bag' cremation coming to UK - with remains flushed down drains
Water cremations, sometimes referred to as 'boil in a bag' funerals, are already widely available across the US, and could soon be rolled out in the UK 'Boil in a bag' funerals could soon be made available across the UK, offering an environmentally friendly, yet controversial, way to say your final goodbyes to a loved one. This unusual method, officially known as water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, is currently effectively banned in the UK, but could well get the legal go-ahead following the independent Law Commission's new consultation into funerary methods. Already available across 30 US states, as well as Canada and South Africa, the first European water cremation facility, or resomation, opened its doors in early 2023in Navan, Co Meath, Ireland. Traditional burials can lead to embalming fluid seeping into the grave soil, while each gas-powered fire cremation releases around 245kg of CO2 into the atmosphere, according to UK-based cemetery and crematorium development the CDS Group. By comparison, figures from Resomation Ltd, the founding body for alkaline hydrolysis, show just 28kg of CO2 is released into the atmosphere per water cremation. Unlike conventional cremations, these eco-friendly farewells, which take between three to four hours, also don't release harmful mercury emissions into the atmosphere. So how does it work? A body is loaded into the alkaline hydrolysis machine, which calculates the amount of water and potassium hydroxide required. The machine locks, and an alkaline solution then fills the pressurised tank, which is gently heated to 152°C (305°F). The remains are broken into their chemical components — amino acids, peptides, sugars and salt — leaving behind a liquid that is then cooled in another tank until sterile and free from any remaining tissue or DNA. Around 330 gallons of brown-coloured liquid will be washed down the drain, while the softened bones are ground to powder in a reducer, and presented in an urn to the grieving family. Back in 2017, Wired journalist Hayley Campbell described the process in colourful detail after seeing a resomator in action at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Hayley wrote: "Over the course of up to four hours, the strong alkaline base causes everything but the skeleton to break down to the original components that built it: sugar, salt, peptides and amino acids; DNA unzips into its nucleobases, cytosine, guanine, adenine, thymine. "The body becomes fertiliser and soap, a sterile watery liquid that looks like weak tea. The liquid shoots through a pipe into a holding tank in the opposite corner of the room, where it will cool down, be brought down to an acceptable pH for the water treatment plant, and be released down the drain." Noting that "it's not actually that terrible", Hayley revealed: "The human body, liquefied, smells like steamed clams." Although many scientists view alkaline hydrolysis as the future of the death industry, it's something many still feel squeamish about, while others object on religious or cultural grounds. Highlighting why this process is still a bit of a taboo in an interview with The Telegraph, Dr Lian Lundy, a wastewater specialist from Middlesex University, explained: "Some people view it as basically mixing up my loved one with poo in the sewer and they don't like that. "But there's a lot that goes into the sewer that we don't really think about – waste from mortuaries and hospitals and all sorts of things that we don't know about – so from that perspective, it's not really any different."
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
UK's MHRA suspends Valneva's chikungunya vaccine for elderly
June 9 (Reuters) - UK's medicine regulator said on Monday it has temporarily restricted the use of French vaccine maker Valneva's ( opens new tab shot to treat chikungunya, a virus transmitted by mosquitoes, in people aged 65 and above as a precautionary measure. The vaccine, IXCHIQ, was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in February to protect people aged 18 years and above against chikungunya, but is not yet available in the UK market. "The decision to restrict the licence until further review is based on global data which has highlighted 23 cases of serious adverse reactions, including two cases reporting a fatal outcome, in people aged from 62 to 89 years of age who received the vaccine," the regulator said. The adverse events, opens new tab were reported in the French overseas territory of La Reunion, where a chikungunya outbreak was reported earlier this year. MHRA's decision comes after the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in May suspended, opens new tab the use of the vaccine in the age group. The French Government was the first to take the step in April.
