Politicos aim to kick cancer into touch

East Renfrewshire politicians Jim Murphy MP and Ken Macintosh MSP joined thousands of men from across Scotland to call for Prostate Cancer UK’s Quality Checklist to be implemented by the NHS in Scotland.

It’s all part of the Men United v Prostate Cancer campaign, which uses the language of sport to engage men in the battle against the disease.

East Renfrewshire’s man in Westminster, Jim Murphy, told The Extra: “It is important we remember the devastating effect of male cancers.

“In particular, prostate cancer can often develop without any early symptoms.

“I would urge the Scottish government to join NHS England and Wales in establishing a National Prostate Cancer Audit to help us learn more about how to make treatment and diagnosis more effective.”

In England and Wales, data is collected about diagnosis rates and stages, as well as management of treatment, so improvements might be made. NHS Scotland has yet to establish such an audit which could help to improve treatment.

More than 40,000 are diagnosed in the UK each year, and one in eight men will develop the disease at some point in their lives.

The most recent available figures show that between 2008 and 2010, 559 people were diagnosed in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Every hour in Scotland, three people are diagnosed with some type of cancer.