A man’s chances of dying from prostate cancer – the most common cancer in men – vary according to postcode, new figures from the Prostate Cancer Charity show.
The inequalities surrounding death rates facing men with prostate cancer were uncovered following new data from the Office of National Statistics, which depict a “healthcare lottery” where men living in Barnsley are almost four times more likely to die of the disease than those living in Waltham Forest. Death rates from the disease are notably higher than average at one in ten primary care Trusts (PCTs) in England and, worryingly, the data also revealed that the gap between the highest and lowest performing Trusts is widening. One man every hour dies from prostate cancer in the UK and overall deaths from the disease have not reduced for a number of years. Sixteen of the 152 primary care Trusts in England have death rates from prostate cancer which are above the average rate of 24 deaths per 100,000 of the population. Commenting on the figures, John Neate, chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity, said: “While we can be encouraged that prostate cancer services have improved in recent years, this new data underlines that there is still much to be done in tackling the many inequities men with prostate cancer can face. Every man affected by prostate cancer must have equal access to world class services – regardless of where they live in the country.”
