Prostate cancer killing more Brits than breast cancer for the first time as funding for treatment lags behind
Twice as much money has been spent researching breast cancer treatment compared to prostate cancer since 2002 - and as a result survival rates for breast cancer patients have improved faster
PROSTATE cancer now kills more Brits than breast tumours, new figures reveal.
It claims 11,819 lives a year — overtaking breast cancer as the third deadliest form of the disease.
Experts blame men’s growing lifespan and a rising population.
But they also say breast cancer research spending since 2002 has doubled that on prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer UK chief Angela Culhane said: “It’s not surprising progress in prostate cancer is lagging behind.
“It’s encouraging to see progress in breast cancer.
Many developments could be applied to prostate cancer. With the right funding, we can dramatically cut deaths.”
Dancer Wayne Sleep, 69, who beat it in 2015, said: “I was lucky. But it claims nearly 12,000. This must stop.”
Cancer Research UK’s Mich-ael Chapman said: “Death rates for both breast and prostate cancer are falling — but faster for breast cancer.”
Some 55,000 breast tumour cases and 47,000 prostate — men’s No1 form of the disease — are diagnosed each year.
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Lung cancer is the deadliest form of the illness, killing 35,486 in 2015.
Bowel cancer is No2 with 16,067 deaths. Breast cancer killed 11,442 and pancreatic cancer 9,834.
NHS England said: “Cancer survival is at an all-time high, with 7,000 more surviving than three years before.”
