Report shows difference in diagnosis wait for prostate cancer between public and private healthcare
One in five men in Ireland with prostate cancer is under the age of 60 - a finding that conflicts with the general perception that the disease affects older men.
A report from the Irish Prostate Cancer Outcomes Research, also found that four out of five Irish men with prostate cancer had no symptoms of the disease.
The report, published by the Movember Foundation, contains data from more than 4,800 patients who were diagnosed with prostate over the last two years. Two-thirds of patients were under the age of 70 and two out of five were under 65.
IPCOR principal investigator and consultant urologist, Dr David Galvin, said it is crucial that men have a conversation with their doctor about their prostate health.
Dr Galvin said: “We want the findings in this year’s report to be a catalyst to enhance prostate cancer care, improve patient experience and maximise the quality of life for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Ireland."
The report which contains detailed clinical data from both public and private hospitals across Ireland shows that around 250 men are newly diagnosed every month.
The study also found “significant differences” in waiting times for diagnosis between public and private healthcare. There is a 24-day delay in receiving a biopsy in the public healthcare system (56 days) compared to the private system (32 days). Public patients also wait an extra 30 days to learn of the results (85 days) compared to private patients (55 days).
Also, those in private hospitals are three times more likely to access an MRI scan before their biopsy. An MRI improves diagnosis and may reduce the need for further biopsies.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the drug pembrolizumab can greatly extend the lives of some people with advanced head and neck cancer.
A trial of nearly 500 patients led by a team at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, involved 97 medical centres in 20 countries.
Results published in the Lancet showed that 37% of patients who received pembrolizumab survived for a year or more, compared with only 26.5% of those on standard care.
A minority responded extremely well to pembrolizumab- 36 patients saw their cancer partially or completely disappear. Some are still cancer-free three years after receiving the drug.
The drug works by taking the brakes off the immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells and is already approved for use in some people with lung cancer, skin cancer and lymphoma.
The drug has been offered to 221 women in Ireland caught up in the CervicalCheck crisis, but not to others.
Cervical cancer survivor, Vicky Phelan, who is taking the drug - a dose every three weeks costs €8,500 - wants all women to have access to the drug.
Head of research at the Irish Cancer Society, Dr Robert O’Connor, said more people than ever before are surviving cancer because of the discovery of new drugs.
Dr O'Connor said: “The problem is, for the cohort of people who are given a new cancer drug, the same drug can vary significantly in how it affects patients."
He understands that patients are keen to take whatever treatment gives them the slightest chance of living longer.
He said: “Unfortunately, the resources are not available that can identify in a more precise way what drugs will work best for each patient. It’s a global challenge, not just an Irish one.
"The Irish Cancer Society doesn't comment on individual drugs or medicines. However, we do want Irish patients to have access to the best oncology drugs and treatments so that their quality of life and chance of living longer increases. Which patients get what drug should be a matter for each patient and their medical team to decide."
The society is urging the Government to take a strategic, long-term approach to how cancer treatments are going to be financed in the future.
