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Dept of Health

Answer

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to inform men (a) about the known risk factors for prostate cancer and (b) on whether they should ask their doctor for a prostate specific antigen test. [152543] Miss Melanie Johnson: We want men to know what their prostate is and what can go wrong with it. We have provided funding for the following to increase public awareness of prostate cancer: Section 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to increase available information about prostate cancer. Section 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to improve awareness of the risks and symptoms of prostate cancer in African and Afro-Caribbean men in Britain. The database of individual patient experiences in prostate cancer. We have also set up the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group (PCAG) to ensure better collaboration and communication between the Department, the voluntary sector, patient and professional groups and to advise Ministers, the National Cancer Director and the Department on the development of policy on prostate cancer. One of the first actions of the PCAG was the formation of a sub-group to look specifically at the public awareness of prostate cancer. The prostate cancer risk management programme ensures that men considering a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer are given information concerning the benefits, limitations and risks associated with having the test. Evidence based primary care resource packs have been provided to all GPs to aid them in counselling men who are concerned about prostate cancer, enabling the man to make an informed choice on whether to take a PSA test.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

417 c1124W; 152543

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Diagnosis Health education Screening Prostate cancer

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk