UK prostate cancer figures pass 40,000

A new report from Cancer Research UK has revealed that rates of prostate cancer diagnosis in Britain have risen to their highest level ever.

According to the organisation's latest figures, around 40,800 men were diagnosed with the disease in 2009, passing the 40,000 mark for the first time and representing a marked increase compared to the 14,000 diagnoses in 1989.

Much of this increase can be attributed to the more widespread use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing, which functions by measuring a chemical produced by the prostate that is often raised among cancer sufferers.

However, this method remains an imperfect means of testing in terms of accuracy of diagnosis and in distinguishing between aggressive and slow-growing cancers.

Professor Malcolm Mason, Cancer Research UK's prostate cancer expert, said: "There is no escaping the fact that we need a better tool than PSA to help detect prostate cancers that actually need treating."

Figures revealed by the organisation last year suggest that the NHS must put plans into place to cope with a predicted increase in new cancer cases of 45 per cent over the next two decades.