25 per cent rise in prostate cancer deaths over last 16 years despite ’remarkable advances’ in treatment

Prostate cancer has 70 new cases and 10 deaths nationally per day. The Prostate Cancer Foundation suggests a lack of government messaging is to blame.

Prostate cancer deaths have jumped more than 25 per cent since 2006 and only a third of cases are being detected in the earliest stage of the disease, new data reveals.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Australia, with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) reporting 70 new cases and ten deaths every day.

With an estimated 32 per cent population rise in the past 16 years, the 25 per cent rise in deaths since 2006 does indicate a lower number of fatalities per capita, but still places significant pressure on health services as the scale of the cancer rises.

Although the average age of diagnosis is 69, around 3600 Australian men are diagnosed under the age of 60 each year, including 43-year-old Jason Strange, who was diagnosed last year after being tested due to his family history of the disease.

Mr Strange has two milestone anniversaries in quick succession, with the coming weeks marking a year since both his wedding and first diagnosis with cancer.

The Wollongong resident runs his own bottle shop, and is the third generation in his family to develop prostate cancer.

Deciding to take his health more seriously leading into his wedding, Mr Strange took a blood test and caught his early case of prostate cancer.

“I sort of put [my cancer] on the backburner leading up to the wedding, it’s only the last few months that I really should reflect,” Mr Strange said.

“I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had to have significant treatment.”

Currently, it seems that prostate cancer cases are out of sync with population growth. Year on year Australia sees about a one per cent population rise, but 2022 recorded a five per cent rise in case numbers and a 6.7 per cent increase in deaths.

“Over 3,700 Australian men will die of prostate cancer this year. With concerted action, many of these deaths can be avoided,” PCFA CEO Anne Savage said.

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia chief executive Anne Savage. Picture: Supplied

“High numbers of men experience major physical and mental health challenges up to 10 years or more after their initial treatment, which means we need to step up and make new medicines and treatments available more rapidly, along with access to support.”

Estimates suggest 25,487 Australian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, only 36 per cent of those cases will be detected in stage one.

“One of the biggest barriers to early detection is lack of awareness – Australia has spent very little public funding on educating the community about prostate cancer and we need a government-supported nationwide campaign,” Ms Savage explained.

“If we have learned anything during Covid it‘s that messaging matters.”

From 1982 to 2018, the five-year relative survival for prostate cancer improved from 58% to 95.6%. This makes it one of the highest survival rates, but only for those diagnosed early. In total male cancer fatalities it ranks only behind lung cancer.

This survival rate varies broadly based on demography, favouring richer, metropolitan patients.

A regional citizen with prostate cancer has a 24 per cent lower chance of recovery than someone closer to the more equipped city hospitals.

“Early detection is key to survival, but to achieve higher rates of earlier detection we must have government and community support,” said PCFA Chairman Steve Callister.

“We must do everything in our power to prevent late diagnosis and the tragic loss of so many of our fathers and sons.”

Breakthroughs have improved prostate cancer treatment and quality of life.

“Management and treatments have had remarkable advances over the past three years, we have nuclear medicines and diagnostic technologies that could not have been imagined even ten years ago,” Ms Savage explained.

Recent surgeries have reduced side effects by avoiding damaging nerves, and the University of South Australia, as a part of a joint study, recently located three biomarkers that could help clinicians track likely rates of progression in prostate cancer patients.

“It makes you more mindful. One thing it has done is change my perspective on putting things off,” Mr Strange explained.

“For a lot of men they’re afraid because they’re unsure of what the test means … but being uncomfortable for five seconds sure beats dying.”