Australian Prostate Cancer Patients Trapped in Treatment Gap

Australian Prostate Cancer Patients Trapped in Treatment Gap
Prostate cancer: A genetic screening test for prostate cancer is being investigated that could predict the disease's aggressiveness and reduce the need for invasive treatments in men who have milder forms. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Prostate cancer is Australia’s most diagnosed disease and the costliest to treat yet major public and private sector differences mean access to preferred care for many men is too expensive.

Private patient costs for a robotic prostatectomy, a standard surgical procedure for removal of the prostate, ranges between $12,000 (US$8,200) and $30,000 (US$20,060) nationally, new research shows.