Men with prostate cancer are being diagnosed late because 'GPs don't take them seriously'

Men with prostate cancer are being diagnosed late and suffering avoidable deaths because they have to fight to be taken seriously by doctors, damning figures suggest.

They typically wait longer than other patients before seeking help with symptoms – and then have to return to their GP multiple times before getting a diagnosis.

Too many are not told in a sensitive way that they have the disease or struggle to contact healthcare workers for support during treatment, according to the NHS National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.

The poll of 59,352 patients shows only one in three (35.1 per cent) with prostate cancer saw their GP within three months of first thinking something was wrong, compared with 53.8 per cent of those with breast cancer and 46 per cent of all cancers.

While 70 per cent of breast cancer patients only had to see their GP once before a diagnosis, this plummeted to 46.1 per cent of men with prostate cancer.

Just one in three men with prostate cancer saw their GP within three months of first thinking something was wrong (File photo: A doctor wearing a stephoscope)

One in 20 men with prostate tumours returned five or more times before learning they had the disease, the data reveals.

The Daily Mail has relaunched our End Needless Prostate Deaths campaign in a bid to improve diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

Early diagnosis is key to survival with just a third of men living for five years or more once the cancer has spread outside the prostate.

The patient experience survey shows only 70 per cent of prostate cancer patients were ‘definitely’ given their diagnosis in a sensitive way and only 78 per cent ‘completely’ understood what they were told.

Both results were higher for patients with breast cancer.

Oliver Kemp, chief executive of Prostate Cancer Research, said: ‘Too many men are having to fight to be taken seriously and get tested for prostate cancer by their doctors, leading to late diagnoses and preventable deaths. 

‘Patients often do not know that they have a right to testing if they have symptoms and we hear many stories of doctors being dismissive of patients that turn out to have prostate cancer.

‘Even once diagnosed, many men don’t feel fully informed, adding to their fears and uncertainty. 

‘The high mortality rate for prostate cancer can only be tackled if we end the stigma around this awful disease and make it easier for men to raise concerns with their GP.’ 

He added: ‘It is crucial that doctors have empathy and understanding when talking someone through a cancer diagnosis.’

Most men with prostate cancer had to see their GP more than once before getting a diagnosis (File photo: A patient in a consultation) 

The Daily Mail has fought for nearly 25 years to raise the profile of prostate cancer, a disease which claims a man’s life every 45 minutes in Britain. 

More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with the disease each year – 1,000 every week – making it the most common cancer among men and second overall.

For 10,000 of these, the cancer is stage 4 – meaning it has already spread.

An NHS spokesman said: ‘In 2021, the 5,300 men with prostate cancer who completed our national survey rated their experience of care at 8.8 out of 10.

‘It is testimony to the dedication of NHS staff that they are continuing to use the insights gained from the survey to improve the service they offer.

‘Record numbers of people are getting checked for cancer, including for prostate cancer, and as ever, if people have concerns, they should come forward.’