We were very pleased to have hosted Bayer’s “Prostate Cancer Health Inequalities Expert Forum’’ last Tuesday 16th July, discussing key health inequality challenges in the UK with 11 leading experts in prostate cancer care.
As many as 1 in 8 men are estimated to get prostate cancer within their lifetime in the UK. Despite affecting so many people and having such a significant impact nationwide, unwarranted variations in prostate cancer care across the health system are leading to stark differences in diagnoses, experiences, and outcomes for the men impacted by this disease. For example, black men are less likely to be tested for prostate cancer but are more likely to develop it.
Moderated by Ursula Montgomery, Bayer UK’s Head of Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability, along with Oxygen Strategy, the Forum explored the key factors that drive health inequalities in prostate cancer and discussed what solutions could be implemented to bring meaningful improvements in prostate cancer care in the near term. The group discussion focused on five key areas with potential solutions, including:
✔️ Diagnosis and screening – remove barriers to targeted PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing
✔️ Access to treatment – bring care closer to patients and supporting patients ‘get to care’
✔️ Patient pathways – streamline the patient pathway and introduce ‘one stop’ shops for prostate cancer patients
✔️ Patient experience – introduce patient navigators that reflect the communities they are seeking to engage
✔️ National prostate cancer policy – develop a dedicated cancer strategy
We would like to thank all the Forum participants and speakers Oliver Kemp, Prostate Cancer Research, and Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, who represented key stakeholders across different specialties in prostate cancer care, ranging from urology and radiology to primary care and patient organisations. Bayer believes that addressing these health inequalities is of the utmost importance to improve care and the lives of prostate cancer patients and by collaborating with all parties in the prostate cancer care community we can find system-wide solutions together. As a next step, we will be developing a series of tangible policy recommendations for the new Government to consider implementing. We look forward to continuing to work on this important issue through 2024/25. Stay tuned for more updates!
#MensHealth #HealthInequalities #AddressingHealthInequalities #ProstateCancerCare #ImprovingProstateCancerCare #BayerUKI