Largest prostate cancer research programme in Ireland calls for patients to be key to cancer care

Movember Ireland and Irish Cancer Society funded prostate cancer research programme – IPCOR – calls for patients to input into nationwide cancer registry

The largest prostate cancer research programme in Ireland has today called for over 4,000 men with the disease across the country to make an unprecedented difference in improving prostate cancer care by providing information on their cancer experience.

IPCOR, the Irish Prostate Cancer Outcomes Research programme, which is funded by men’s health charity, the Movember Foundation, in partnership with the Irish Cancer Society, has called for men diagnosed with the disease in 2016 and 2017, to participate in a groundbreaking study aimed at providing unique insights into prostate cancer care in Ireland. 

The research programme was set up in 2016 through the support of Movember Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society has established a nationwide prostate cancer registry capturing medical and quality of life information from newly diagnosed patients. As part of its research, IPCOR gathers clinical data from patients, including the type of treatment they receive, self-reported experiences of care, physical and mental well-being.

This registry generates robust data on a range of important clinical outcomes of men with prostate cancer and assesses processes, consistency and quality of prostate cancer care. By providing evidence-based data and recommendations to clinicians, hospitals, decision-makers and the National Cancer Control Programme, the registry promotes equal access to services and improvements in care nationally. Over time, it is envisaged that this registry will lead to the improvement of patient experiences and maximise quality of life for the 3,550 Irish men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Ireland each year. 

IPCOR is hoping to get more prostate cancer patients to become involved in this programme, thereby increasing real-world knowledge of the disease. In November, IPCOR released the first research report which found that four out of five Irish men with prostate cancer showed no symptoms when they were diagnosed with the disease. The study also found that one in five men diagnosed with prostate cancer are under the age of 60.

From Monday 25th March, prostate cancer patients will receive a patient information leaflet about the IPCOR study, consent forms and quality of life questionnaires via post. Participants are asked to fill in the form or complete the online questionnaire via www.ipcor.ie.

Dr David Galvin, IPCOR programme lead and Consultant Urologist, said: “Patient engagement is at the core of our research. We want our research to be a catalyst to enhance prostate cancer care, improve patient experience and maximise quality of life for men diagnosed in Ireland and we are calling on prostate cancer patients across the country to help us gain a greater insight into the disease.”

Neil Rooney, Movember Ireland Country Director, said: “through the ongoing support of thousands of Irish men and women, The Movember Foundation is proud to support IPCOR and humbled that together we are funding the largest prostate cancer research programme of its kind in Ireland. Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in Ireland. Through funding IPCOR, the Movember community are playing a vital role in improving the lives of prostate cancer patients across the country. However, we need patients help to really assess and learn about this disease in order to better support and improve their quality of life.”

Averil Power, CEO, Irish Cancer Society, said: “Together with our supporters and Movember, The Irish Cancer society is determined to improve the lives of the many fathers, grandfathers, brothers and sons experiencing prostate cancer. Through this important research, IPCOR aims to provide greater firsthand accounts of how prostate cancer is impacting men’s lives and help inform future treatment solutions. We believe this study will play a vital role in making prostate cancer treatments and outcomes in Ireland the best in the world.”

IPCOR, which is funded for a five-year period by Movember, is a collaborative partnership involving the Irish Cancer Society, National Cancer Registry Ireland, the HRB Clinical Research Facility in Galway, the National Cancer Control Programme and the nation’s major academic institutions represented by Clinical Research Development Ireland. IPCOR will continue to report ever year to the public, to hospitals and to doctors. Visit www.ipcor.ie for more information.