Prostate cancer should be treated with the same level of priority as breast cancer is in women

According to major prostate cancer groups speaking at the European Association of Urology’s 24th Annual Congress, major improvements in prostate cancer recognition, management and treatment are needed.

The prostate cancer charter for change from 13 influential European and US prostate cancer patient groups, calls for the disease to be treated with the same level of priority as breast cancer is in women. The charter covers unmet needs in all areas of care from increasing awareness of the importance of screening to highlighting the impact of prostate cancer on love lives.

The group’s overarching concern is a lack of clear and consistent information, particularly in areas that affect a man’s quality of life and that of his family. Prostate cancer and its treatments impact on all elements of a man’s life and not just his physical being. Many men experience urinary incontinence and impotence which can severely compromise their sense of masculinity and day-to-day quality of life, affecting their work, social activity and love life. The charter asks for practices to be put into place to better inform and educate men, their families and all those involved in prostate cancer care of the far reaching effects of the disease and to encourage a more open, communicative and holistic approach to its treatment and management.