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Major political parties back Prostate Cancer Charter for Action's new calls
In a statement issued as the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action launched its new calls, the Cancer Minister, Ann Keen MP, said:
"The Charter's presence on the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group is a great example of what can be achieved by government working in partnership with the voluntary sectior and professionals, ensuring that the expertise of all those committed to tackling prostate cancer is harnessed for the benefit of patients.
I full support the Charter's new pledges, which are very much in line with actions outlined in the Cancer Reform Strategy, and I look forward to working with the Charter over the coming years to deliver these improvements for me with prostate cancer and their families." 
Speaking at the Charter launch, the Shadow Cancer Minister, Mark Simmonds MP, said:
"I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the signatories for the excellent work you do in supporting men with prostate cancer. The Charter has certainly succeeded in putting prostate cancer on the political agenda and I am pleased to be able to play my part in launching the Countdown to Equality."
View photos from the launch
The Prostate Cancer Charter for Action launched the Countdown to Equality to reduce the number of men dying from prostate cancer and to improve the experience of those who develop it. We see no reason why the improvements in death rate and reported experience seen in other cancers should not be replicated in prostate cancer.
Although progress has been made, there are still too many inequalities in prostate cancer, both in terms of outcomes and the experience reported by men with the disease. We want to change this and the Countdown to Equality marks the launch of our new calls which we believe will make a real difference to the lives of all those affected by prostate cancer.
The Charter's new calls are focussed in four key areas:
1. Significantly reduce the number of men being diagnosed with prostate cancer which has already spread
2. Improve the cancer experience of men with prostate cancer to at least the level reported for other common cancers
3. Level up clinical outcomes across the country so that all NHS services match the current best
4. Plan effectively to deliver world class prostate cancer services in the future
The Countdown to Equality can be found here. Download a copy of the Charter's press release which explains some of the inequalities which we still see in prostate cancer here.
Please do contact the Charter on 020 7340 6240 if you have any queries.
The Prostate Cancer Charter for Action
The Charter was formed in January 2003 to tackle the inequalities experienced by men diagnosed with prostate cancer and campaign for a better deal for all men and their families. We have identified a series of actions which we believe would make things better. We are calling for Parliamentarians, the media and the public to Speak Out on prostate cancer, raising awareness and understanding of this major killer.
Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst men in the UK. It is also a major killer, resulting in the deaths of 10,000 men every year. Men with prostate cancer also report a significantly worse experience of their treatment and care than patients with other cancers.
For more information on prostate cancer please visit UK Prostate Link.
