Cancer care still a priority, but has been compromised by pandemic
2 June 2021
Cancer care still a priority, but has been compromised by pandemic
Launching the infopool
In 2023, we launched our patient platform, the infopool.
PCR in the News
Catch up on all of our latest press coverage and news.
Launching our Socio-economic Impact of Prostate Cancer Screening Report
We launched our landmark Socio-economic Impact of Prostate Cancer Screening report at the House of Commons, as part of our #ProactiveForYourProstate campaign. The report concludes that early diagnosis of prostate cancer using new testing technologies could potentially yield a positive socio-economic benefit of over £200 million, driven by improved patient outcomes. We strongly believe it is crucial for the Government to take action now to prevent men from suffering from late diagnosis.
To read our report, click here.
Oscar-winning director, Sir Steve McQueen reveals to the Guardian that he paused filming Blitz for prostate cancer treatment following the launch of a landmark cost-benefit analysis report from the charity Prostate Cancer Research.
After the reveal of the landmark report at the House of Commons, McQueen stressed the importance of early detection and called for urgent action to implement a screening program to save lives and reduce undiagnosed cases.
English broadcaster and former footballer, Gary Lineker, says men should not be embarrassed about prostate cancer and calls for new NHS screening programme following the launch of a cost-benefit analysis report by the charity Prostate Cancer Research.
The report concludes that early diagnosis of prostate cancer using new testing technologies could potentially yield a positive socio-economic benefit of over £200 million, by catching cancer earlier, saving lives and reducing the cost of treatment.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticises health inequalities in the NHS at House of Commons event following cost-benefit analysis report findings by charity Prostate Cancer Research.
“It’s about addressing the needs of those who are systemically disadvantaged and ensuring that no matter a person’s background or family history, they receive the same chances for early diagnosis, effective treatment, and ultimately survival.”
The cost benefit analysis report argues that if the Government acts now, we could save over 19,000 years of life from a five-year screening programme if technology that already exists were to be approved and adopted.
Launching Prostate Progress
Stephen Fry urges prostate cancer patients to sign up for 'groundbreaking' data project which could improve treatment of the deadly disease
Actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry is urging prostate cancer patients to sign up for a major new research initiative that could save thousands of lives.
The NHS has partnered with Prostate Cancer Research to give scientists access to health data in a bid to transform patient care and treatment of the disease.
The charity’s Prostate Progress project is the first to be selected to take part in NHS England’s Data for Research and Development Programme.
Actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry is urging prostate cancer patients to sign up for a major new research initiative that could save lives.
Back in March 2018 Stephen Fry made a shock announcement confirming he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Sharing a 12 minute video on his personal blog, he explained he has been missing from the public eye because he’s been fighting for his health.
TV personality Stephen Fry is calling on prostate cancer patients to participate in a groundbreaking research endeavour that has the potential to save lives.
Stephen Fry shocked fans when he announced in March 2018 that he was suffering from prostate cancer, with him detailing his health struggle in an extended video shared on his personal blog, explaining his absence from the public eye due to his fight for his health.
Announcing ground-breaking new research
We have been funding ground-breaking new research to impact the lives of those affected by a prostate cancer diagnosis.
Dr Olugbenga Samuel Oyeniyi profiled in Nature about his PCR-funded project focused on delivering workshops to black men across the UK.
This project delves into the barriers faced by black men and the early diagnosis of prostate cancer and encourages men to seek help or advice early to reduce the number of late diagnoses.
Scientists have discovered genetic mutations that could help explain why Black men are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer than those of other ethnicities.
The findings could lead to a test to identify those at greatest risk of developing the disease, enhancing survival rates.
The Prostate Screening EpiSwitch is a new test that can pick up signs of prostate cancer by identifying abnormalities in gene activity.
Using this in combination with the PSA test, which scans for prostate-specific antigens in your blood, has been shown to dramatically improve detection by 94 percent in cases.
This test will help reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies and false negatives in men who have the disease. It will also help us identify markers of prostate cancer that may be specific to an ethnic group.
New research reveals that access body fat cells ‘talk to’ prostate cancer cells through signals.
These signals encourage prostate cancer cells to grow. Our scientists are investigating how these cell signals affect prostate cancer growth and it’s spread by comparing the signals from the cells of obese men to those of lighter men.
This research will allow us to identify existing drugs that can be repurposed to treat prostate cancer cells.
Daily Mail: Our Latest Campaign
Everyone facing a cancer diagnosis should have access to the same quality of treatment and care but currently this is not the case. A postcode lottery of cancer testing and diagnostic tools means that where you live can make a huge difference to your outcomes.
‘Postcode lottery’ in prostate cancer care costs thousands of lives a year as men in the north east of England are SIX TIMES more likely to receive a diagnosis after it has spread, charity warns
The charity said it was a ‘national tragedy’ that survival prospects for the most common cancer among men could come down to where they live. It estimates around 3,000 lives a year could be saved by reducing the disparities in late diagnosis – and called on more men to come forward to be tested.
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A rallying cry to take on the silent killer
We reveal today that there is effectively a postcode lottery for men’s survival prospects, with many hospitals in the South far outperforming those in the North and the Midlands – a shameful imbalance in our health system which is responsible for an estimated 3,000 deaths a year.
Which is why our End The Needless Prostate Deaths campaign is supporting the call by Soho House founder Nick Jones in Saturday’s Mail for the NHS to offer all men over the age of 50 a free scan which can spot the cancer early.
‘I had to travel 100 miles for prostate cancer treatment EVERY day’: Patient is forced to make huge daily journey to receive radiotherapy
Nick Fletcher was forced to travel 100 miles every day for a month to receive life-saving treatment.
The 58-year-old from Malton, North Yorkshire, travelled 50 miles to a hospital in Leeds each morning for radiotherapy.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the Magnolia Centre in York Hospital. Yet Mr Fletcher was left with little choice but to take on the ‘tiring’ two-and-a-half-hour roundtrip journey to and from St James’s University Hospital in Leeds.
Men with prostate cancer are being diagnosed late and suffering avoidable death because ‘GPs don’t take them seriously’
Men with prostate cancer are being diagnosed late and suffering avoidable deaths because they have to fight to be taken seriously by doctors, damning figures suggest.
They typically wait longer than other patients before seeking help with symptoms – and then have to return to their GP multiple times before getting a diagnosis.
Too many are not told in a sensitive way that they have the disease or struggle to contact healthcare workers for support during treatment, according to the NHS National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.
Men should be offered ‘one stop shop’ tests for prostate cancer similar to those widely available to breast cancer to help save lives, say experts
Men should be offered a ‘one-stop shop’ for prostate cancer tests similar to those widely available for breast cancer, experts say.
A pilot scheme in London found the time to make a diagnosis could be cut in half by fast-tracking men suspected of having the disease.
They were offered an MRI scan, with the results the same day – and in many cases a biopsy the same day if needed.
#GiveMenMoreTime
In December 2022, we launched a campaign #GiveMenMoreTime to ensure men with advanced prostate cancer are not left behind when it comes to approving new drugs on the NHS in England and Wales.
Up to 12,000 men are dying from prostate cancer in England each year because they are denied groundbreaking drugs on the NHS, charities warn
Up to 12,000 men are dying from prostate cancer in England each year because they are denied groundbreaking drugs on the NHS, charities warn.
Three charities have united with actor Stephen Fry, who survived the disease, to call for precision treatments Olaparib and Pluvicto to be made available.
Olaparib is the world’s first genetically targeted drug to be proven safe and effective for advanced prostate cancer for men with the BRCA 1/2 mutation.
1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer, like I did. It’s time for government to make life-extending drug available.
I WAS diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2021, and I know what it feels like to have your time threatened by a serious illness.
In 2020, I had a slightly raised PSA result and was told to keep an eye on it and come back again in 12 months.
A year later, I was getting a bit sore, having ridden a static bike in the gym for around six months, and I started having more trips to the toilet at night, as well as having more urgency when I needed to go.
Elton John lookalike shares real life health battle parallels with the music icon
The Elton John lookalike is supporting Prostate Cancer Research’s new National Lottery funded website resource called the infopool, which includes information about testing for the disease, clinical trials and patient videos.
The infopool was co-designed with patients and clinicians, and aims to help support those at risk of the disease and those diagnosed with prostate cancer, to help understand the lived experience of people like them.
Elton John lookalike to star in prostate cancer charity videos
Mr Bills is working with the charity Prostate Cancer Research in his role as Sir Elton in a series of online videos to highlight a new National Lottery-funded information website.
The website, called The Infopool, is run by the charity and contains details about prostate cancer, testing, treatment and clinical trials.
Announcing new research
Tackling the health inequities faced by Black men in prostate cancer
Two universities in East of England involved in pioneering prostate cancer research
Prostate Cancer affects all men, but those who are black are twice as likely to develop and die from prostate cancer.
Now scientists are leading the way when it comes to understanding why that is with new research projects at the University of East Anglia and the University of Essex.
Improving radiotherapy
Professor Bart Cornelissen and Dr Tiffany Chan appeared on BBC South Today to discuss their PCR-funded project combining radiotherapy with other drugs to improve patient outcomes.
Raising awareness of the increased risk of prostate cancer in Black men
We teamed up with cancer care provider GenesisCare and Linford Christie OBE, Olympian and Prostate Cancer Campaigner.
‘Knowing my cancer risk saved my life’: Wiltshire man warns others to be aware
A Wiltshire man who survived prostate cancer is warning other black men they are twice as likely as white men to develop the disease, and says his own awareness saved his life.
One in four black men diagnosed with prostate cancer – the 7 signs to watch out for
ONE in four black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime as under a quarter know they are at a higher risk, a survey has revealed.
Linford Christie in ‘shock’ over co-star Sarah Harding as he urges fans to discuss cancer
LINFORD CHRISTIE has opened up on his aim to encourage people to speak about cancer while urging fans to get health checks to catch the disease as early as possible.
Prostate cancer survivor & music therapist Alphonso Archer and PCR Head of Research Dr Naomi Elster spoke to 5 News as part of our work with GenesisCare and Linford Christie OBE to raise awareness of the increased risk of prostate cancer in black men.
Men’s Health Awareness Month 2021
Together with cancer care provider GenesisCare and Dominic Littlewood, TV presenter and prostate cancer survivor, we aimed to empower men at every stage of their prostate cancer journey.
Women more likely than men to spot signs of prostate cancer, poll suggests
A study of 2,000 adults found 78 per cent of men are also unaware of the physical symptoms which could indicate an issue. In fact, women are 27 per cent more likely to know the signs to look out for, and a third (34 per cent) of the men who have received a prostate cancer diagnosis admitted that it was their partner who raised the alarm.
Nearly half of men have no idea where prostate is – or how to spot signs of an issue
Nearly half of men have no idea where their prostate is, and are unaware of the physical symptoms which could indicate an issue, according to research. A study of 2,000 adults revealed that women – who do not have a prostate – are 27 percent more likely to know the signs to look out for in a man.
Almost half of men don’t know where the prostate is, study finds
Nearly half of men have no idea where the prostate is, according to research. A study of 2,000 adults found 78 per cent of men are also unaware of the physical symptoms which could indicate an issue.
Allan Lamb interview: 'Put your egos aside and don't be afraid to get checked'
A huge thank you to Allan Lamb for opening up about his experiences with prostate cancer & highlighting our work in The Telegraph.
‘Please do not be too macho- get tested for prostate cancer’
Former England batsman Lamb is being treated for prostate cancer and tells men not to die ‘from embarrassment’. Since revealing he has the disease, he has been inundated with support and is urging others to get checked.
Let’s Talk About The Hard Things
Earlier this year, Prostate Cancer Research (PCR), in partnership with Tackle Prostate Cancer and pharmaceutical company Ipsen, launched a nationwide survey to better understand the experiences faced by people living with prostate cancer, particularly in relation to the challenges patients face with treatment side effects.
Breaking down taboos of prostate cancer – Calne man tells his story
A Calne cancer survivor is hoping his story will help others, and has volunteered to go public in a charity campaign.
Harlow-based Boxing promoter Ambrose Mendy backs campaign to break down taboos around prostate cancer treatment side effects
Dad with ‘no pain or major symptoms’ given devastating cancer news
Michael Woolley was diagnosed with prostate cancer in August 2018, after a chat with his work friend encouraged him to get checked out.
‘Prostate cancer treatment killed our sex drive and gave us hot flushes but we’re fighting the stigma’
When Mark Dalloway, 57, learned he carried the BRCA2 gene mutation, he knew he had to take action.
Announcing our new research projects
In April 2020, we invited researchers to submit proposals and recently announced the scientist who were awarded funding.
London scientist receives nearly £500k in funding for prostate cancer research
A group of London scientists are receiving funding to fill the gaps in the research landscape of prostate cancer.
Dr Claire fletcher is one of those behind the research and spoke to James about how the research and how she’ll be using the funding.
A new blood test to detect cancer
PCR CEO, Oliver Kemp, appeared on Sky News to discuss a new blood test to detect 50 types of cancer being piloted by the NHS and what this will mean for prostate cancer patients
Living with prostate cancer: how has COVID-19 affected you?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had huge impacts on everyone in society. Earlier this year, we launched our survey, 'Living with prostate cancer: how has COVID-19 affected you?'
Newly diagnosed cancer patients are being forced to contact specialist over phone or video call
Findings show the proportion of those told they have prostate cancer who don’t get an initial face-to-face consultation has risen eight-fold.
Newly diagnosed cancer patients are being forced to speak to their specialist over the phone or via video call rather than in person, experts have warned.
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