PCCA - Uniting to speak with one voice because men's lives matter

• to address the rising incidence of prostate cancer
• to examine why so little research effort is being directed against the commonest form of male cancer

Men in Britain have a 1 in 10 lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer (30,000 new cases diagnosed each year in England alone).

The Charter aims to become Britain's agenda for prostate cancer action, stating what is needed for effectively tackling the disease that kills over 10,000 men every year.

Charter demands include key requirements:

• Additional resources and targeted investment
• Increased transparency in how the UK deals with the disease
• Campaigning to raise greater public awareness
• And an increased focus on patient care

Furthermore, the Charter implores the Government to increase its collaboration with the voluntary sector to hasten necessary change.

Public Health Minister Hazel Blears welcomed the formation of the Prostate Cancer Charter with the words: "…the Government is committed to reducing deaths from all cancers and good overall progress has been made on prostate cancer since we published the NHS Prostate Cancer Programme in September 2000”. My colleagues and I congratulate the prostate cancer charities and organisations on this initiative and look forward to working with them”

Dr Howard Stoate MP, Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group on Men's Health comments: "I am pleased to be supporting the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action and, with the appropriate support from the Government, this Charter will make a significant difference to the lives of many men and their families."

Phase 2

Thursday 3 Nov 2005 was the day of the Audio Day Motion, when members of both Parliament and the Lords (led by Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy) demonstrated non-partisan support across political divides by supplying messages of support to open the National Prostate Cancer Conference in London (the initiative was based on Parliament's Early Day Motions where MPs sign their names to issues).

Even the grand inquisitor, BBC Radio 4's John Humphrys allied himself with the politicos and supplied encouragement and support.

It's about time that men became more sensitive to the issue.

Whether party leaders, peers or broadcasters, they all share a common vulnerability to the most common form of cancer in males, contracted by 30,000 men every year and killing 10,000 annually.

Formed in 2003, the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action comprises 23 charities and organisations including Prostate Research.

The Charter was launched to coincide with the government's initiative to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer and to encourage men to speak more openly about it.

Charter campaigners are calling for:

• A national screening programme (the moment a reliable test is developed)
• Specific targets be set and met under Parliamentary scrutiny
• Recruitment of many more specialist nurses to improve survival rates 
• A new government lead in coordinating research efforts to develop treatment.

The signatories are:

Prostate Cancer Research Foundation
British Association of Urological Nurses
British Association of Urological Surgeons
British Prostate Group
British Urological Foundation
British Uro-oncology Group
Cambridge Cancer Research Fund
Cancerbackup
Cancer Black Care
Cancer Research UK
Help the Aged
Institute of Cancer Research
Macmillan Cancer Support
Men's Health Forum
Orchid
PCaSO Prostate Cancer Network
PSA North of England
Pro Cancer Research Fund
Progress
Prostate Cancer Charity, The
Prostate Cancer Research Centre
Prostate UK
Tenovus

Visit the Charter website

If you would like to get more involved, the following information  forms a pack designed to provide you with materials and ideas to help establish a local campaign raising awareness of prostate cancer and improving services in your area.  Download it here