Prostate Cancer Screening Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
Sureena Brackenridge
Main Page: Sureena Brackenridge (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)Department Debates - View all Sureena Brackenridge's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
Prostate Cancer Screening
Sureena Brackenridge Excerpts(3 days, 22 hours ago)
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Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison.
I start by offering my thoughts to all those in Wolverhampton North East and beyond who have lost loved ones to prostate cancer or who are themselves living with it, and their families. We owe it to them and to the men still at risk to do more to find this disease earlier. Finding prostate cancer early can save lives.
In Wolverhampton North East, more than one in five of those men were diagnosed at a late stage, when their cancer was harder to treat or even incurable. That is why I welcome England’s first targeted prostate cancer screening programme, but we must ensure that it is rolled out promptly and that we move to target all high-risk men, in order to reach those who need it most.
I am particularly concerned about the data that shows that one in four black men will develop the disease, while men whose father or brother have already had it are about two and a half times more likely to develop it than other men. That is why I was proud to support the launch of the Saving Black Men’s Lives manifesto at Molineux, led by Prostate Cancer UK and the West Midlands Cancer Alliance. Brothers Reaching Out for Support and its founder, Junior Hemans, as well as lots of campaigners and patient advocates, shared their devastating experiences.
Since then, the Government have announced around £20 million for prostate cancer research and treatment, including plans to expand the Transform research trial. Will the Minister set out a clear timetable for the screening programme, explain how eligible men will be identified and outline what more is being done to raise awareness among higher risk groups and help GPs discuss risk proactively?