Raising awareness of a disease which affects one in 11 men
MARCH is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – an event aimed at helping people find out more about this disease and what can be done to prevent it.
PROSTATE cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Around 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK and one man dies every hour of the disease.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, which is organised by The Prostate Cancer Charity, aims to reduce the death rate from prostate cancer by 30 per cent, from 25 per 100,000 to 18 per 100,000, by 2020. This would save the lives of around 3,000 men every year.
Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust is supporting this national awareness-raising event, which has been extended from a week-long to a month-long event this year.
Specialist urology nurse Carol Popplestone joined the trust's urology department three years ago.
In those three years Carol has seen dramatic improvements in the service provided to urology patients, despite a rise in the number of patients and new cases of cancer.
Carol explained: "From April 2007 to March 2008 there were 262 new diagnoses of cancers of the genitals and urinary tract – 130 of which were prostate cancer.
"While breast cancer affects one in nine women, not many people realise that prostate cancer effects one in eleven men.
"Part of my role is to make men and women more aware of prostate cancer.
"Although prostate cancer affects many men and their families – 70 per cent of people don't know what the prostate actually does.
"This shows how vital it is that men develop their knowledge of their body and prostate cancer so they can recognise the early signs of the cancer to enable them to access treatment as quickly as possible."
As part of its ongoing work in this area the trust plans on setting up a Prostate Cancer Support Group which will be launched later this year.
Macmillan Cancer Support is also reminding men not to procrastinate over their prostate this month.
The charity is calling on men everywhere to be aware of the symptoms and is also highlighting the information and support they provide for anyone affected or worried by the disease.
Macmillan fundraising manager Sally Millington said: "The good news is that caught early, prostate cancer is very treatable.
"It would be best for men to take action if they suspect something isn't right.
"Very often symptoms will be for something less serious, but why not get it checked out and put your mind at rest?"
Maureen Rutter, Macmillan regional director, said: "We know most people feel overwhelmed when they are told that they have cancer. One of the most common feelings people have is a sense of isolation and they may find it hard to talk about their condition with other people.
"We are encouraging people affected by cancer to take advantage of the support we can offer. This ranges from free specialist information in booklet form or on the web, financial help or emotional or practical support from an information centre, a support group or phone line."
For confidential advice and to find out where your nearest Macmillan Information and Support Centre, or support group is call Macmillan on 0800 500 800 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk.
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Weather for Scarborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
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