Men ignorant on cancer

November 3rd 2005

Too many men are being told they have prostate cancer by telephone or letter, campaigners said today.

Many men do not receive basic information about prostate cancer when they are diagnosed with the disease.

More than 1,000 men diagnosed with cancer took part in a survey conducted by the Prostate Cancer Charity. 
                                                                                            -                                                                                           Prostate Cancer Charity
About 20 per cent said the news was broken to them in an "insensitive" manner - including by phone or letter.

More than a third said the hospital did not refer them to a specialist nurse to discuss the disease.

And 43 per cent said they did not receive written information about the disease, treatment or side-effects.

The charity called on the government to make the disease an "urgent and convincing" priority.

Chief executive John Neate said: "It’s disgraceful that so many men with prostate cancer still do not get appropriate care and support. One man told us how he received a letter on a Saturday telling him he had cancer, with a help number that was not
available until the following Monday.

"These men are not whingers with nothing better to do than complain about the NHS. They are real men, fathers, grandfathers and sons. All too often their responses are deeply distressing."

Patient John Essex, aged 62, said: "I went to a specialist cancer centre and was amazed to find that they had no idea that hormone treatment can cause breast enlargement in men and loss of libido.

"My side effects were very disturbing and I felt terrible but I came up against a blank wall and couldn’t find anyone to help."

Researcher Chris Hiley said: "Cancer care is not only about the headlines, firing ever more people through the door of the hospital ever more quickly, with guaranteed access to the right drugs - it’s about the right nurses in the right place with the right facilities, training and attitudes."

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