- Most men with prostate cancer had to visit their GP several times to be diagnosed
- Only a third of men with prostate cancer visited their GP within three months
Men with prostate cancer are diagnosed late and suffer avoidable deaths because they have to fight to be taken seriously by doctors, damning figures show.
They usually wait longer than other patients before seeking help with their symptoms – and then have to return to their GP several times before receiving a diagnosis.
Too many people are not told in a sensitive way that they have the disease or find it difficult to contact health professionals for support during treatment, according to the NHS National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.
The study of 59,352 patients showed that only one in three (35.1 per cent) with prostate cancer visited their GP within three months of first thinking something was wrong, compared to with 53.8 percent of those with breast cancer and 46 percent of all cancers.
While 70 percent of breast cancer patients only had to visit their GP once before diagnosis, this dropped to 46.1 percent of men with prostate cancer.
One in 20 men with a prostate tumor came back five or more times before learning they had the disease, the data revealed.
The Daily Mail has relaunched our campaign to end needless prostate deaths in a bid to improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
Early diagnosis is key to survival, with only a third of men living five years or more after the cancer has spread beyond the prostate.
The Patient Experience Survey found that only 70 percent of prostate cancer patients “definitely” were given their diagnosis in a sensitive manner and only 78 percent “completely” understood what they were told.
Both scores were higher in breast cancer patients.
Oliver Kemp, chief executive of Prostate Cancer Research, said: “Too many men have to fight to be taken seriously and tested for prostate cancer by their doctors, leading to late diagnoses and preventable deaths.
“Patients often don’t know they have the right to be tested if they have symptoms, and we hear many stories of doctors neglecting patients who are found to have prostate cancer.
“Even once diagnosed, many men do not feel fully informed, which heightens their fears and insecurities.
“The high death rate from prostate cancer can only be tackled if we end the stigma around this terrible disease and make it easier for men to raise concerns with their GP.”
He added: “It is extremely important that doctors have empathy and understanding when talking someone through a cancer diagnosis.”
The Daily Mail has been fighting for almost 25 years to raise awareness of prostate cancer, a disease that claims a life every 45 minutes in the UK.
More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with the disease each year – 1,000 each week – making it the most common cancer among men and the second overall.
For 10,000 of them, the cancer is stage 4 – meaning it has already spread.
An NHS spokesman said: “In 2021, the 5,300 men with prostate cancer who completed our national survey rated their experience of care at 8.8 out of 10.
“It is testament to the dedication of NHS staff that they continue to use the insights gained from the survey to improve the service they offer.
“Record numbers of people are being screened for cancer, including prostate cancer, and as always, if people have concerns they should come forward.”