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Leading MPs support Early Day Motion for better access to treatment for men with prostate cancer

London, 17 July 2007 – A new Early Day Motion (EDM) calling for better access to treatment for men with prostate cancer is gaining support from leading MPs in the House of Commons. Sponsored by Dr Ian Gibson MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer at Westminster, the EDM calls for the eradication of the postcode lottery system for a treatment option known as Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and accounts for more than 10,000 deaths each year, yet men with prostate cancer report having a significantly worse experience of treatment and care than patients with other cancers.1
LDR brachytherapy is a proven2, cost-effective treatment for early, localised prostate cancer3. Unlike surgery, it is minimally invasive and involves implanting tiny radioactive seeds through fine needles into the prostate to destroy the cancer cells. It has a positive side effect profile that offers patients preserved quality of life, with less risk of impotence and incontinence after treatment, compared to other treatment options4.

Currently, 1 in 6 patients are denied access to this proven therapy5 despite the fact that the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has approved LDR brachytherapy6 and the Department of Health has issued advice supporting increased usage7

The campaign for better patient access to treatment has been driven by the Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group: a new group of leading experts dedicated to supporting universal access to high-quality LDR brachytherapy in the UK. The Group has recently launched a new website www.prostatebrachytherapyinfo.net to help the commissioning of new services.

States Dr Ian Gibson MP, “All people with cancer should have access to the right choice of treatment for their condition and circumstances. I hope that the new Cancer Reform Strategy will bring an end to postcode lotteries for people with cancer and allow men with prostate cancer to feel as satisfied with their treatment and care as people with other cancers. ”

The Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group is supported through an unrestricted educational grant by Oncura


References:
1. Comptroller and Auditor General. Tackling Cancer: Improving the patient journey. HC 288 2004-2005. 2005. London, National Audit Office.
2. Kupelian PA, Potters L, Khuntia D, et al. Radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy <72 Gy, external beam radiotherapy ≥72 Gy, permanent seed implantation, or combined seeds/external beam radiotherapy for stage T1–T2 prostate cancer. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics 2004;58:25–33.
3. Buron C, Vu BL, Cosset J0M, et al. Brachytherapy versus prostatectomy in localized prostate cancer: Results of a French multicenter prospective medico-economic study. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics 2007;67:812–822.
4. Frank S, Pisters L, Davis J, et al. An Assessment of Quality of Life Following Radical Prostatectomy, High Dose External Beam Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy Iodine Implantation as Monotherapies for Localized Prostate Cancer. The Journal of Urology 2007;177:2151-2156.
5. www.channel4.com/news/dispatches/health/health_lottery
6. Interventional Procedures Overview of Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy for
Localised Prostate Cancer (NICE Overview 251, January 2005).
7. Department of Health Advice on the Development of Low Dose Rate (Permanent Seed Implant) Brachytherapy Services for Localised Prostate Cancer in England. (Gateway Reference 7385, November 2006).


Notes to Editor:
The Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group

The Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group is dedicated to supporting universal access to high-quality low dose rate (LDR) permanent seed implant prostate brachytherapy for the treatment of localised prostate cancer in the UK. It comprises a group of NHS and medical representatives with an active interest in the commissioning of services and the provision of care.

Members:
Professor Stephen Langley Professor of Urology, St Luke’s Cancer Centre, Guildford, Surrey.
Chair, Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group
Ms Niki Bartrop: NHS Commissioning Advisor, Woking
Dr David Bottomley: Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Cookridge Hospital, Leeds
Mr Richard Gledhill: Prostate Cancer Charity Specialist Nurse, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
Mr Richard Popert: Consultant Urological Surgeon, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, London


EDM 1903 by Dr Ian Gibson MP

New Prostate Cancer Treatment

That this House notes that prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and causes more than 10,000 deaths each year; laments the fact that men with prostate cancer report a significantly worse experience of treatment and care than patients with other cancers; welcomes the development in the UK of new treatments for men with prostate cancer, such as low dose rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy, which offers patients improved quality of life after treatment compared with other treatment options; condemns the postcode lottery which denies 1 in 6 men with prostate cancer in this country access to this proven therapy; and calls upon the Government to support the work of the Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group to maximise patient access to LDR prostate brachytherapy across the whole of the United Kingdom.

File Download:
pressrelease_edm_1903_170707_final-1.doc

Contact:
Sally Robinson, PR Consultant
sally@etalpr.co.uk

Date Added: 17-07-2007

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