Crawley’s MP, Henry Smith, has pledged to support Prostate Cancer UK in its drive to eradicate the injustices faced by men with and at risk of prostate cancer. 

Per 100,000 people, 90.5 men in West Sussex are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year and 23.6 die from the disease. However, despite being the most common cancer in men, those affected by or at risk of the disease continue to face a number of injustices, particularly when it comes to awareness of risk and access to treatments, information and support. 

Prostate Cancer UK has launched a report outlining five key injustices faced by men with or at risk of prostate cancer. The charity is calling on the government to take prostate cancer seriously by tackling the inequalities around awareness, age and ethnicity, and ensuring that all men gain access to the best possible treatments and information, regardless of where they live. 

Henry met men living with and beyond prostate cancer at a campaigning event held at Westminster this week to discuss the issues in more depth and to show his support for the charity’s calls. Henry commented: 

“Prostate cancer kills one man every hour but men and their families continue to face an uphill struggle on a number of fronts, from awareness of risk, through to gaining access to vital support, information, or world class treatments.  Together with Prostate Cancer UK, I want to ensure that men across our town are armed with the knowledge of their risk of prostate cancer, and that those living with it have everything they need to tackle the disease head on and have quality time with loved ones. 

“I’m therefore delighted to endorse Prostate Cancer UK’s Men United report, and call on local health services to ensure it’s adopted as soon as possible to help all men who are diagnosed with the disease.” 

The report – ‘Men United v Prostate Cancer, Five inequalities, five solutions’ – comes as part of the second wave of the charity’s Men United campaign which has built an urgency around prostate cancer and has seen nearly 200,000 people sign  up to join the fight against the disease since January 2014.  

For more information on the injustices faced by men living with or at risk of prostate cancer go to: www.prostatecanceruk.org/inequalities