28 March 2022
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) has warned that men in regional and rural areas may be at increased risk of suicide due to prostate cancer, with higher rates of distress among patients in small towns and regional communities.
Around 25 per cent of men from rural and remote areas who call PCFA’s Telenursing Service for support with their diagnosis have been found to have severe distress, compared to just six percent of men who call from metro and major regional centres – a fourfold increase.
PCFA CEO, Anne Savage, said many men and families with prostate cancer were feeling the effects of cancer-related distress as well as the lingering impacts of the pandemic, floods, bushfires, and drought.
“We’re taking nearly 300 calls a month right now from men and family members who need our help,” Ms Savage said.
“Of concern, more than half of all callers present with moderate to severe levels of distress directly related to their diagnosis.
“For men in regional and remote areas, rates of severe distress are higher, and may reflect poorer access to life-saving treatment and care.
“Men with prostate cancer have a 70 per cent increased risk of suicide death, and in regional areas men also face a 24 per cent increased risk of death from their prostate cancer.
“We have approached the Federal Government about working with us to overcome these challenges, so that all Australian men have a fairer go at fighting prostate cancer.”
PCFA call data shows that between March 2021 and February 2022, more than 1000 people accessed the Telenursing service at least once, with over 3200 occasions of service provided by the charity.
“Around two-thirds of all calls are from men who have prostate cancer, while around one in ten calls are from men who are worried about their risks.
“Partners comprise about eight percent of all calls, and often loved ones feel equally distressed by what their husband, partner, or father is going through.”
In total, PCFA’s expert prostate cancer specialist telenurses have spent 35,000 minutes on the phone supporting men and their families over the past 11 months, with spikes during periods of lockdown and surgery suspension.
“We have seen an increased number of men and families are feeling isolated and desperate for specialist advice to help understand their diagnosis and treatment options,” Ms Savage said.
“The long-term effects of living with prostate cancer can be very challenging, and as a community we need to be there to care for these men, to help them cope in the days, weeks, months, and years after treatment.”
While the majority of calls to the nursing line originate in city areas (66%), a disproportionately high number of calls have come from small towns and outback areas.
“Calls from men in small towns and outback Australia account for roughly double the population average we might ordinarily expect from those towns,” Ms Savage said.
“Of concern, higher rates of these callers presented with severe distress directly related to their prostate cancer.
“Among the concerns these men reveal to our telenurses, it’s common to find men and their families grappling with additional financial distress and the heavy burden of decision making about how to approach treatment and management of their disease.
“Many feel forced to make life and death decisions about leaving their home and employment to access care, with anxiety about abandoning their family and farms or businesses.”
PCFA General Manager of Supportive Care Programs, Bernard Riley, said late diagnosis was a major challenge for men.
“Men diagnosed with advanced cancer are often confronted with a scenario that they never expected.
“This can be deeply distressing, prompting emotional and psychological turmoil.
“The most effective way to overcome this is to ensure we detect prostate cancer at its earliest possible stages.
“For this to happen, we urgently need a review of the Clinical Practice Guidelines on PSA Testing, and we hope to make it happen soon, pending Federal Government support,” Mr Riley said.
The current guidelines are now more than five years old, and do not provide clear guidance for consumers and the community.
Figures from the AIHW, released late last year reveal a 10 percent increase in the number of men dying from the disease between 2016, when PSA testing guidelines were launched, and 2019 (the latest data available).1
Prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Australian men, with one man diagnosed every 30 minutes.
More than 230,000 men are living with or beyond prostate cancer in Australia, a number expected to rise 62 per cent by 2040, to over 370,000 men.
About Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA)
PCFA is dedicated to reducing the impact of prostate cancer on Australian men, their partners and families, recognising the diversity of the Australian community. it’s telehealth service is staffed by prostate cancer specialist nurses, providing a critical lifeline to the 18,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Australia each year, and their families, significantly reducing isolation and barriers to accessing support.
Men and their families can speak with a specialist nurse by calling 1800 22 00 99, Monday to Friday.
To find out more about Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, or for support, visit pcfa.org.au or call 1800 22 00 99.
ENDS
Media contact:
Laura McKoy | M. 0435 094 788
1 Comparison of 2016 actual mortalities (3254) with latest mortality figures available from 2019 (3582): Cancer data in Australia, Cancer summary data visualisation
