Facts about Prostate Cancer in Ireland

Around 4,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the Republic of Ireland each year, and about 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. That number is rising steadily but only about 500 men die of the disease each year. These figures show that most men who get a prostate cancer diagnosis will not die of the disease.

There are several reasons suggested for this:

• A greater use by family doctors in Ireland of the PSA test as a screening procedure. This opportunistic PSA screening means that rare, potentially lethal, prostate cancers are caught earlier and can be treated more effectively.
• Most prostate cancers are slow growing and may never cause death.
• The reorganisation of cancer services in the voluntary and public hospitals into eight designated centres, combined with the introduction of Rapid Access Prostate Cancer Clinics with their Multi-Disciplinary Teams, provide an opportunity for swift referral, biopsy and advice on treatment options.
• Increased public awareness through the work of the Irish Cancer Society, the Movember movement, the 40+ community-based cancer support organisations affiliated to the Irish Cancer Society* and other organisations such as the Marie Keating Foundation which has developed a prostate cancer support service in recent years. In addition through the enormous reach of social media and the internet, there is much greater access to and awareness of, the work of international patient advocacy groups, medical researchers, and not-for-profits working in the field of prostate cancer.
• Better treatments and improved outcomes from combinations of treatment types, in surgery, radiotherapy, and oncology. Also, more options for men whose cancer has progressed despite initial treatment, for example new Androgen Deprivation Therapy and chemotherapy drugs, precision medicine, and radionucleid therapies.

*Plus peer support from the trained volunteers in MAC – Men Against Cancer