EARLIER this month the Prime Minister launched a new £75million drive against prostate cancer.

The fund aims to recruit up to 40,000 men into clinical trials and diagnosis.

According to a report by cancer charity Orchid published earlier this month, there is a ‘worrying trend’ of late diagnosis of prostate cancer, with 37 per cent of diagnoses coming at stage three or four.

Currently around 47,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year and around 11,000 die as a result.

As many men to not show any symptoms in the early stages, it can be difficult to catch the cancer.

The first routine test used for diagnosing prostate cancer is the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test – a simple blood test.

This is available for free to any man over the age of 50.

PSA level is an indicator of disease, but a high PSA level can come from other causes.

Conversely, low levels can be present in men with prostate cancer.

Approximately 76 per cent of men with a raised PSA don’t have prostate cancer and two per cent with a fast growing prostate cancer have a normal PSA, so the test has limitations.

When a PSA test shows an abnormally high result, the the next step would usually be a prostatic biopsy, which comes with morbidity risks.

The samples from the biopsy can be used to give what is called a Gleason score (1-9), identifying how aggressive the disease is.

In some centres a multi-parametric MRI scan is now used for patients who have a high PSA result, before a biopsy.

This method can identify approximately 25 per cent of men with a high PSA who do not need a biopsy, with the resulting benefit of reducing biopsy associated risks and over diagnosis.

Further research is needed into the best way to identify prostate cancer early.

The PSA test is not offered universally because it can miss cancers or pick up non-harmful cancers.

NHS England is continually reviewing its guidelines and the new money from government will focus on improving treatment, including radiotherapy, ultrasound and cryotherapy.

I am pleased that the government is taking this seriously, as there is still significant work to be done and I will continue to push for action to be taken to improve early diagnosis rates.

To find out more about prostate cancer, as well as penile and testicular cancer, see orchid-cancer.org.uk