Prostate Cancer Pilot For Men Appears Left Off The Agenda By New Government

The Prostate Cancer Foundation will continue the fight to save men’s lives after the Budget failed to fund an early detection pilot for prostate cancer.

President Danny Bedingfield said, “we have been talking to the last government and now the new government for the last year on funding a four year pilot for early detection screening of prostate cancer at an approximate cost of six and a half million over four years.

“We applaud the government for extending screening for breast cancer in woman to 74. Everyone acknowledges that the sooner cancer is detected, the better clinical outcomes. We just have one question for the government - is cancer that is specific to men not important?

“Over four thousand dads, husbands, sons and brothers are diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 700 die of the disease every year. We think these lives matter. Perhaps the funding is deep in the details of the budget, or the government have a plan B, but we are at a loss as to why cancer specific to men doesn’t seem to rate with either the last government, or now this new government?

“While the pilot was not funded in the Budget, we remain hopeful that money can be found by reprioritising a tiny part of the $28 billion vote health spending will get it underway.”

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