My name is David Hoe-Richardson and I represent the Hull and East Riding Prostate Cancer Self Help Group: I would like to address the Committee on the subject of Prostate Cancer.

  For far too long, men's health in general and men's cancers in particular have had a very low priority. The life expectancy of a male born in the last decade is five years less than for a woman. Each year over 1½ as many men as women die age between 15-64. This excess number of male deaths is equivalent to one jumbo jet crashing every week and killing everyone on board (Men's Health Forum). Men are much less likely to consult a health professional than women. 89 per cent of men have no knowledge that they possess a prostate gland, where it is situated or what function it performs.

  When I was diagnosed with the disease some six years ago the only warning I had was blood in my urine. Because I worked within the Health Service I realised that I should see my GP. The result, upon eventual diagnosis some six months later, was metastasised prostate cancer. I was given no offers of information or help to learn more about what this meant. I immediately set out to research the disease and its possible treatments and became very knowledgeable about it. My GP even admitted I knew more than he did.

  However, in comparison to the few men like myself who have thoroughly researched the subject there are the vast majority of men who are totally ignorant.

  This Government, as also have previous Governments, are refusing to accept that a screening programme will be useful. I wrote to James Cran, my MP, about this and received a standard response form Yvette Cooper. I would like to quote from that reply.

  Whether or not there is an early national screening programme I would strongly suggest there is an urgent need for an educational and awareness campaign to at least make men aware of the possibility of them developing prostate cancer and to, at the very least, go to their GP for a check-up if they experience any symptoms. Unfortunately, many will develop the disease without experiencing any symptoms at all.

  The reason I started and continue to run the self-help group in Hull, as others are also doing in other parts of the country, was to provide information and support to local men and to campaign to raise awareness and encourage men to go to their GPs.

  However, it should not be the sole responsibility of men who are, in many cases, suffering from the disease themselves to carry out this work. The Government should be committing resources to it.

  My local health promotion department initially produced some leaflets to raise awareness of testicular cancer and when I approached them they agreed to do the same for prostate cancer.

  The local Macmillan nurses have also been very helpful. These initiatives could be rolled out across the country at very little expense and would be a welcome start in helping to raise awareness. Another initiative could be for the PCGs and PCTs to take the issue on board and give equal prominence to men's health as they do to that of women.

  HAZs and Healthy Living Centres could also play a part. I have also used the local press and local radio to highlight the issue and again this could be done nationally.

  I was delighted to see the campaign run by the Daily Mail which raised the profile and quickly raised £1½ million from its readers for research.

  I accept that in the past few months the Government is at long last starting to give the subject more prominence. However, the amounts being spent on research are still woefully inadequate. For a disease which kills at present as many men per year as breast cancer does women, it should have at the very least comparable research funding of £5 million per year.

  Two week wait—Prostate Cancer is the last one to have this introduced by the end of this year. If the Government is genuine in its desire to increase the emphasis on Pca it should have been introduced at the same time as breast cancer. But it is no use having an initial consultation in two weeks for any cancer and then having to wait many months for tests and treatment. There should be the resources available immediately for relevant X-rays and scans to be carried out and appropriate treatment put in place. As I said, I waited six months before tests confirmed my cancer. I will never know whether, in those six months, the cancer spread to my bones or whether it had already done so when I first saw my GP. There are many, many cases where earlier diagnoses would have resulted in a cure and we owe it to everyone that as many as possible can be cured of this disease.

21 June 2000