Time for Decisive Action on Prostate Cancer: Response to Labour Announcement on Cancer Care
Every year 3,000 men in this country are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 600 die – more men are diagnosed with prostate cancer than women diagnosed with breast cancer– and the Prostate Cancer Foundation believes Kiwi men are being short-changed when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.

Graeme Woodside, Prostate Cancer Foundation CEO said, “We applaud any party or organisation striving to improve funding and access to testing and treatment services for New Zealanders facing cancer. “

“Given that prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst our men, we need to ask why there is no free, structured testing programme and a number of innovative treatments and medications are not available. Hold ups with current initiatives including the Prostate Cancer AQIP Programme are having a significant impact. The Programme promised big changes such as better access to good primary care, easier access to treatment, better post-treatment care, and more effective palliative care, but is yet to have lift-off so we need to hold the Government, Ministry of Health and GP’s accountable.”

The annual Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand conference was held this weekend in Auckland and attended by over 200 medical experts, sufferers and survivors, advocates and support service representatives.

ENDS

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