A new international review has found survival prospects for men with prostate cancer are strongly linked to where they live.
Reviewing national and international studies, Cancer Council researchers found consistent differences in survival from prostate cancer for men in urban or affluent areas compared to those in rural or disadvantaged areas.
Cancer Council Queensland spokesperson Katie Clift said the findings highlighted the need for local, national and global action.
“Our researchers found that men in urban areas, worldwide, had lower risks of advanced prostate cancer and better survival,” Ms Clift said.
“These men also had higher rates of prostate cancer incidence, possibly linked to higher rates of PSA testing.
“Across a number of countries, men living in more urban or advantaged areas generally had greater access to or uptake of medical services and lower mortality than men living in rural or disadvantaged areas.
“We urgently need to design targeted interventions to reduce these disparities so that men in rural and disadvantaged areas have better prospects for beating the disease.
“This research will help to inform an ongoing program of work to apply our findings in the community.
“Research is the key to creating evidence-based interventions that are proven to work.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Queensland, accounting for nearly 1 in 3 of all male cancers and around 4000 new diagnoses each year.
Tragically, about 650 Queensland men die from the disease annually.
“If men have any concerns or questions about prostate cancer they should see their GP or call Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 for information about their risks and options,” Ms Clift said.
The project was funded by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
Queenslanders with questions about prostate cancer can call Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 for more information about prostate cancer risks, diagnosis, and treatment.
More information about Cancer Council Queensland is available via 13 11 20 or cancerqld.org.au.
For more information or interviews, please contact:
Katie Clift, Executive Manager, Media and Spokesperson, Cancer Council Queensland
Ph: (07) 3634 5372 or 0409 001 171
*Geographic disparities in prostate cancer outcomes – review of international patterns, Baade et al. Asia Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2015.