Tauranga man Mike Lane was diagnosed with prostate cancer 10 years ago. Photo / Megan Wilson
A Tauranga prostate cancer survivor says “too many men” are dying from the disease, amid calls for a national screening programme.
Meanwhile, a Rotorua widow whose husband died from prostate cancer in 2024 says a screening programme will save lives, memories and futures.
Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand has called on the Government to introduce a four-year, $6.4 million pilot programme in Budget 2026 to “save the lives of many fathers, husbands, and sons”.
More than 4000 men are diagnosed and more than 750 die from prostate cancer annually, the foundation says.
The Ministry of Health says evidence for prostate cancer screening was reviewed in 2023 and found a programme was not justified. Another review was scheduled for the end of this year.
Tauranga prostate cancer survivor Mike Lane, 75, said he was diagnosed aged 65. He had no symptoms.
Pre-diagnosis, Lane had annual blood tests done. On one occasion, his doctor told him he had a “slight elevation” in his prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels.
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the test looks for raised levels of the PSA protein in the blood, which is made by prostate cells. A PSA level that is above age norms could indicate a problem with the prostate gland and further tests might be necessary.
The PSA test is only an indicator of the possibility of prostate cancer and a higher level doesn’t necessarily mean there is prostate cancer.
For Lane, a biopsy later revealed he had prostate cancer.
Lane said a national screening programme was particularly important for men with no symptoms.
“It’s not fair to let them go so early ... ”
He believed men were “left out”, citing breast and cervical cancer screening programmes.
“We have to have it because we’re losing too many men.
“It’s not only a male issue, it’s a family issue.”
Lane, a member of the Tauranga prostate cancer support group, said he did weekly Prost-FIT classes at Mount Maunganui’s NextStep gym. The classes are organised and funded by the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Rotorua widow and registered nurse Shirley Hazelwood lost her husband, Daniel Hazelwood, to prostate cancer in December 2024.
Daniel previously told the Rotorua Daily Post he had no symptoms before his diagnosis. He saw his doctor after seeing a friend’s social media post about prostate cancer encouraging people to get tested.
This week, Shirley said a national screening programme was “worth a conversation”.
“I believe screening saves more than lives. It saves a person and memories and futures.
“Watching that journey, I don’t want anyone to go through it. It’s awful.”
Shirley said the bowel screening programme “makes you do it”.
“It really is a good prompt ... even for the cervical things, I wouldn’t do if it wasn’t there. I’d forget, I’d put it off ... ”
Shirley helped organise a Blue Walk fundraiser in Rotorua last year and planned to do the same this year.
“It’s about the awareness ... to go and get checked.”
A May 4 foundation statement said new independent polling of 1000 eligible voters showed 84% supported the development of a screening programme.
Unlike breast cancer, New Zealand lacked a formal nationwide screening programme, “despite clear evidence that early detection dramatically improves survival rates”.
Foundation president Danny Bedingfield said a national screening programme was “one of those rare issues where New Zealanders are united“.
“Prostate cancer does not discriminate – and neither should access to early detection.”
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said the agency acknowledged the significant impact of prostate cancer on men and their families.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora was looking at ways to improve diagnostics and treatment pathways for prostate cancer and had several services and initiatives aimed at improving men’s health, they said.
The spokesperson said the current approach to early identification of prostate cancer in New Zealand and comparable countries, including Australia, was a shared decision-making process.
This involved a patient and their GP or health professional discussing the risks and benefits of a prostate cancer check. This was supported by an online decision support tool called Kupe.
The spokesperson said there was a “high threshold” for introducing new population-based national screening programmes. This was because screening was specifically for people without symptoms or a diagnosis of that condition.
“It is important that the benefits outweigh the potential risks of taking part, such as unnecessary treatment or anxiety resulting from false positive test results.”
The National Screening Advisory Committee found in 2023 “insufficient evidence to justify a population-based programme, as the potential harms outweighed the benefits”.
The ministry, Cancer Control Agency and Health NZ continued to monitor new research and evidence on prostate cancer screening and advised the Government on any developments.
A spokesperson for Health Minister Simeon Brown said the Government was focused on improving cancer outcomes for all Kiwis, including through awareness, early testing, and access to treatment.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.