The assumption that men with prostate cancer die with, rather than of prostate cancer, is a common misconception.1 Prostate cancer is a major health challenge with over 2 million people living with the disease across Europe, causing an estimated 107,000 deaths in 2018 alone.2,3 The time to act is now.
In the EU, more than two million people are living with prostate cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men.1 Diagnosis rates for prostate cancer are increasing2 and it is estimated that around 450,000 new cases were diagnosed in Europe in 2018, compared to an estimated 345,000 new cases in 2012.3, 4 Each year, prostate cancer accounts for around 25% of all new male cancers5 and 10% of male cancer deaths, with over 107,000 people estimated to have died from the disease in 2018.3
People with prostate cancer often report existing unmet needs. These relate particularly to a lack of adequate patient information as well as of access to cancer specialist nurses, tailored supportive care and psychological support around the impact of treatment.6, 7
Prostate cancer and its treatment not only affect urinary, sexual and bowel function but also energy and performance in physical and social roles and thereby significantly impact on patients’ quality of life.8 The later prostate cancer is diagnosed, the more severely quality of life can be affected.9 Ensuring early detection and diagnosis is therefore vital for enabling those affected to potentially have an improved quality of life.9 The later prostate cancer is diagnosed, the more severely quality of life can be affected.9 Ensuring early detection and diagnosis is therefore vital for enabling those affected to potentially have an improved quality of life.9
About the Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer Campaign
The Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer (LTPC) Expert Group brings together stakeholders from key organisations in the field of prostate cancer and is chaired by Members of the European Parliament, Juozas Olekas, Irena Joveva, and Sirpa Pietikäinen. The Expert Group works to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with prostate cancer in Europe and brings together EU level stakeholders with a shared interest in promoting policy change, education and awareness to ensure that people with prostate cancer, and particularly those with advanced prostate cancer, receive the right treatment and care at the right time in a shared decision-making process between patients andmedical professionals. The following organisations are represented within the LTPC expert group: European Association of Urology European Association of Urology Nurses European Oncology Nursing Society Europa Uomo
How to use this toolkit
By clicking on the tabs at the top of the page, you will be taken to the relevant data source. By clicking on the interactive map on the landing page, you can access the individual country profiles to access country specific prostate cancer outcomes. The data for each of the graphs can be downloaded, including the publicly available source of the information.
Links to external websites are provided as a resource to the viewer. We accept no responsibility for the content or services of the linked site other than the information or other materials provided or reviewed by the LTPC expert group members
1 Van Poppel, H et al. Prostate Cancer: Recommendations to lower the risk and mortality of the most frequent cancer in men. European Association of Urology. 2018. Accessible at https://uroweb.org/wp-content/uploads/EAU_WhitePaper_PCa_final.pdf (last accessed October 2023)
2 Bray, F and Kiemeney, LA. Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer in Europe: Patterns, Trends and Determinants. 2017. Management of Prostate Cancer pp 1-27
3 Ferlay, J et al. Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in Europe: Estimates for 40 countries and 25 major cancers in 2018. European Journal of Cancer. 2018; 103:356-387
4 European Commission. Epidemiology of prostate cancer in Europe. 2018. Centre of Parliamentary Studies. Accessible at https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/epidemiology-prostate-cancer-europe (last accessed October 2023)
5 Health and Environmental Alliance (HEAL). Health costs in the European Union: How much is related to EDCS? 2014. Accessible at https://www.env-health.org/IMG/pdf/18062014_final_health_costs_in_the_european_union_how_much_is_realted_to_edcs.pdf (last accessed October 2023)
6 Kandasamy, S et al. Prostate Cancer Patient Perspectives on the Use of Information in Treatment Decision-Making: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Meta-synthesis. 2017. Ontario Healthy Technology Assessment Series. 2017;17(7):1-32
7 King, A J L et al. Prostate cancer and supportive care: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis of men’s experiences and unmet needs. 2015. European Journal of Cancer Care. 2015; 24(5):618-634
8 Eton, D and Lepore, S. Prostate Cancer and health-related Quality of Life: A review of the literature. 2002. Psychooncology. 2002; 11(4):307-326
9 Van Poppel, H et al. Policy Paper on PSA Screening for Prostate Cancer. European Association of Urology. 2019. Accessible at http://epad.uroweb.org/wp-content/uploads/EAU_policy-briefing_PSA.pdf (last accessed October 2023)
