BBC News - Prostate cancer research 'lagging' 1 January 2013 Last updated at 02:23 Prostate cancer is the poor cousin when it comes to funding for research to find a cure, says a charity. Despite being the most common male cancer, prostate cancer is 20th in the league table of cancer research funding. And it is predicted to become the most common cancer of all in the UK by 2030, says Prostate Cancer UK. The charity is launching a new campaign, fronted by comedian Bill Bailey, to highlight the issue. Owen Sharp, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: "Prostate cancer is simply not on the radar in the UK - even though it kills one man every hour, that's 10,000 men each year - most men and women don't know enough about it. We fund the best science we can to make the greatest impact - we don't have quotas for specific types of cancer End Quote Dr Julie Sharp Cancer Research UK We need to follow the lead of the successful female movement against breast cancer and create a real change for men. According to the charity, breast cancer - the most common female cancer which has a similar death rate as prostate cancer - received more than double the annual research spend - £853 per case diagnosed compared to £417, respectively. Leukaemia got the most research funding - £3,903 per case diagnosed - from charitable and government funds data for 2009 and 2011 show. Every year in the UK over 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Although it is one of the more treatable types of cancer, particularly if diagnosed early, one man dies every hour from prostate cancer, says Prostate Cancer UK. Dr Julie Sharp of Cancer Research UK said: "We fund the best science we can to make the greatest impact - we don't have quotas for specific types of cancer. Last year, Cancer Research UK spent £332m on research into cancers that affect both men and women, including basic research that can help improve our understanding of all cancers, and we spent nearly £20m of this specifically on prostate cancer research. We want to bring closer the day when all cancers are cured and it's research that will help us to do this. Prostate cancer rates have been rising, partly because men are living longer (cancer risk increases with age) and also because more cancers are being detected through widespread use of PSA testing.