1966 hero's plea: don't leave prostate treatment to chance

08/07/2008

World Cup legend Sir Geoff Hurst, MBE, backed by leading doctors, MPs and patient groups is appealing for all men with prostate cancer to get access to the best care as it has emerged 7 out of 10 with advanced disease do not receive chemotherapy despite being eligible for treatment.

Senior cancer specialists warned that while some men may have been offered chemotherapy and turned it down, others may never have been given the option at all, and so many patients are currently not being offered the full choice of treatments that could extend their lives.

The new ‘7 out of 10’ campaign, which is calling for all men with prostate cancer to be made fully aware of their options, was launched by England football hero Sir Geoff Hurst MBE by the Houses of Parliament in London. To illustrate the ‘7 out of 10’ statistic, he was joined by 10 men, including seven dressed only in underwear bearing the campaign’s distinctive dice logo and the slogan “Access to prostate cancer care shouldn’t be left to chance”.

An early day motion supporting the ‘7 out of 10’ campaign, sponsored by Howard Stoate MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Men’s Health, has been laid down in Parliament which MPs are being urged to sign. Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords are also being encouraged to ask Parliamentary questions and write to their NHS Trust about whether patients are being offered all treatment options, including chemotherapy, in line with NICE guidelines.

Around 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK. It kills around 10,000 men every year, or 27 every day, placing it second only to lung cancer as the most common cancer killer of men.

Launching the new campaign, Sir Geoff Hurst, MBE, said:  “Like any footballer, luck as well as skill has played a part in my success. However when it comes to your health, none of us want to take any chances and so that is why I am backing this campaign. It is important that men with this disease, which is the most common cancer in British men, know all their options so they can make informed decisions and get the best possible care they can.”

Metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer (mHRPC) is an advanced stage of the disease at which the tumour initially stops responding to hormone therapy.  There are a range of treatment options for patients at this stage of the disease including bone-targeted therapies, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.  

Of the 10,000 men who die from prostate cancer each year it is believed most are in men with mHRPC. It is estimated that almost half may have been fit enough to receive chemotherapy, yet only 1,421 patients actually received chemotherapy in 2007, leaving seven in 10 who missed out on this treatment option.

John Anderson, consultant urologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: “There are major differences across the country which means many men with advanced prostate cancer patients are not being offered the full range of treatments. Access to prostate cancer care should not be left to chance. We need to encourage better shared care across the country and for medical teams to work more closely together, so all patients are fully aware of their options.”

Dr Amit Bahl, Consultant Oncologist at Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, said: “Chemotherapy is a relatively new treatment option for men with this form of prostate cancer and needs to be considered at the right time to be able to benefit men. Healthcare teams should discuss all potential treatments with men as early as possible, so patients can consider their options and make the best choice for them at every stage of their care.”