What Prostate Cancer Research Foundation is doing

The Prostate Cancer Charter for Action

For the first time all major prostate cancer charities and organisations have united to speak with one voice with the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action, launched in 2003 at the House of Commons, drawing support from MPs of every political party.

The Charter calls for immediate Government and Health Service action in two key areas:

1. to address the rising incidence of prostate cancer and
2. to examine why so little research effort is being directed against the commonest form of male cancer.

Men in Britain have a 1 in 10 lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer (30,000 new cases diagnosed each year in England alone).

The Charter aims to become Britain's agenda for prostate cancer action, stating what is needed for effectively tackling the disease that kills over 10,000 men every year.

Charter demands include key requirements:

• Additional resources and targeted investment
• Increased transparency in how the UK deals with the disease
• Campaigning to raise greater public awareness
• And an increased focus on patient care.

Furthermore, the Charter implores the Government to increase its collaboration with the voluntary sector to hasten necessary change.

Public Health Minister Hazel Blears welcomed the formation of the Prostate Cancer Charter with the words: "…the Government is committed to reducing deaths from all cancers and good overall progress has been made on prostate cancer since we published the NHS Prostate Cancer Programme in September 2000”. My colleagues and I congratulate the prostate cancer charities and organisations on this initiative and look forward to working with them”

Dr Howard Stoate MP, Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group on Men's Health comments: "I am pleased to be supporting the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action and, with the appropriate support from the Government, this Charter will make a significant difference to the lives of many men and their families."

Phase 2

Thursday 3 Nov 2005 was the day of the Audio Day Motion, when members of both Parliament and the Lords (led by Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy) demonstrated non-partisan support across political divides by supplying messages of support to open the National Prostate Cancer Conference in London (the initiative was based on Parliament's Early Day Motions where MPs sign their names to issues).

Even the grand inquisitor, BBC Radio 4's John Humphrys allied himself with the politicos and supplied encouragement and support.

It's about time that men became more sensitive to the issue.

Whether party leaders, peers or broadcasters, they all share a common vulnerability to the most common form of cancer in males, contracted by 30,000 men every year and killing 10,000 annually.

Formed in 2003, the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action comprises 24 charities and organisations including Prostate Research.

The Charter was launched to coincide with the government's initiative to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer and to encourage men to speak more openly about it.

Charter campaigners are calling for:

1. A national screening programme (the moment a reliable test is developed)
2. specific targets be set and met under Parliamentary scrutiny
3. recruitment of many more specialist nurses to improve survival rates
4. a new government lead in coordinating research efforts to develop treatment.

The signatories are:

• Prostate Cancer Research Foundation
• Cancer Black Care
• The Prostate Cancer Charity
• Prostate Research Campaign UK
• The Orchid Cancer Appeal
• British Prostate Group
• Cambridge Cancer Research Fund
• Pro Cancer Research Fund
• PCaSO Prostate Cancer Network
• Progress
• The Scottish Association of Prostate Cancer Support Groups
• Institute of Cancer Research
• Cancer Research UK
• Macmillan Cancer Relief
• CancerBACUP
• Men's Health Forum
• Men's Health Forum, Scotland
• Tenovus
• British Association of Urological Surgeons
• British Urological Foundation
• British Association of Urological Nurses
• Prostate Cancer Research Centre
• British Uro-oncology Group
• Help the Aged
• PSA North of England

Visit the Charter website >