Sussex Sharks back Prostate Cancer campaign

The Sussex Sharks are backing a campaign, launched today, aimed at urging men over 35+ who have a family history of prostate cancer to have regular checks for the disease.

‘Take the Test’ aims to highlight the increased risk of prostate cancer for those men with a family history of the disease and to encourage them to take a simple test to check their level of risk. The campaign is being launched by the Sussex based British Prostate Centre and aims to reduce the numbers of young men dying from prostate cancer through increasing awareness and screening.

THE FACTS:

• A family history of prostate cancer is considered by many as the strongest risk factor for prostate cancer.
• One close relative affected by prostate cancer more than doubles the risk of getting the disease compared to those with no family history of the disease.
• One or more close relatives diagnosed with prostate cancer or relatives diagnosed younger than 60 increases the risk further.

British Prostate Centre spokesperson Tim Larner says, “The message of this campaign is simple, if you have a family member who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer then you should ‘Take the Test’. See your GP or a specialist who can undertake a simple test to check if you have raised levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen) indicating that you are at increased risk.”

Consultant urologist Paul Miller from the British Prostate Centre adds; “This campaign is not designed to panic men and their families. However, it is important for men to be prostate aware, especially those who may be at increased risk.”

Prostate cancer remains the most common form of male cancer and is responsible for the death of 10,000 men in the UK each year. For more information on available tests, men should get in touch with their GP or log onto the British Prostate Cancer website: www.britishprostatecentre.com.