Lobbying for men with prostate cancer

[Paul Edwards]

More men are diagnosed with prostate cancer than women diagnosed with breast cancer.  More men die from prostate cancer than with women die from breast cancer.  Despite this, Federal Government funding is heavily skewed in favour of women with breast cancer.  For example, more money is allocated to breast cancer nurses than for prostate cancer nurses, to breast cancer research than for prostate cancer research and to breast cancer drugs than for prostate cancer drugs.

 

An important part of this Group's work is making sure that the voice of men with advanced prostate cancer is heard.

 

Early this year a Senate Standing Committee held an inquiry into the availability of new, innovative and specialist cancer drugs in Australia.  The Committee received over 100 submissions and, out of these, asked about a dozen submitters to address the Committee.   It was very pleasing that Jim Marshall on behalf of our Group was selected to appear to address the Committee.

 

We believe advocacy and lobbying Government and the decision makers is critical.  In this regard the men are way behind the women's health groups.   They do it so much better.

 

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has just published its latest Annual Report *: click this link to read the Annual Report.

 

This year the PCFA Annual Report has a section called "Awareness and Advocacy".  In this past this section was simply called "Awareness". It's good to see this acknowledgement by the PCFA that advocacy and lobbying are just as important as raising community awareness of prostate cancer.   All these things need to be done.

 

It's also good to see page 22 of the Annual Report headed "Advanced Prostate Cancer".  In the past we've been critical that the PCFA hasn't been doing enough for men with advanced prostate cancer.  It's even better to read in the Annual Report the recognition of the work that we've been doing, led by Jim Marshall.

 

Also a pat on the back to all of you and your family members who have made your own individual submissions to the various inquiries and public consultations.  It helps to get the message across to the Government and the decision makers that unfortunately prostate cancer affects the lives of many Australian men and their families.

 

* Not recommended for everyone: The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has also just published its latest Financial Report: click this link to read the Financial Report.