Raise your game with prostate health test to save family heartache

Blood test screening at St Marys Stadium, the home of Southampton FC, on Saturday, 19 July, for up to 500 men – by appointment only www.pcaso.org/psa-testing

With 33 men dying every day in the UK from prostate cancer, a special event is being held at the Saints’ home ground in Southampton to potentially save lives.

Up to 500 men will be checked for their PSA levels once they’ve booked an appointment online www.pcaso.org/psa-testing

Blood tests for prostate specific antigen (PSA), an indicator of prostate health, take place at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, 19 July, from 10am to 3pm.

Eligible for the free test, with donations welcomed to help with costs, are men aged 50 to 80 and, if they have a family history of prostate cancer or are of Black ethnicity, 40 or above.

In what will be the largest prostate health testing session of its kind over one day in the Southampton region, the screening is a collaboration between a charity, membership organisation and business.

Prostate Cancer Support Organisation (PCaSO) is organising the event in association with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Freemasons.

PCaSO is a registered charity run by patients for patients with prostate cancer and their families and friends, improving care and support.

Southampton Football Club and Saints Foundation are providing the stadium venue free of charge and Clive Emson Auctioneers, regional land and property auctioneers based at Whiteley, are sponsors.

Paul Bowler, Branch Chair of PCaSO Hampshire, said: “We know that the PSA test has its limitations, but there is clearly a demand for this test, as these events have been well attended.

“At present it is the only initial indication we have to show that a man may have a prostate problem and it could possibly lead to saving his life.

“With 33 men dying every day from prostate cancer, we urge partners and friends of men to get them tested because an elevated PSA level is a cause for medical concern.

“We know that a lot of men are uncomfortable or embarrassed about healthcare screening, but the price of stubbornness can be death – is that a price worth paying?”

A small blood sample from an arm vein is tested at a local NHS hospital laboratory, with each participant informed of the result in five to 10 days’ time.

No internal examination takes place.

Rob Marchant, a regional director and auctioneer with Clive Emson Auctioneers, who lost an uncle to prostate cancer, said: “As a company operating in the world of property, we recognise that a good many of the clients who we deal with on a day-to-day basis are men in the target age range, who we would encourage to get themselves checked out.

“I’ve been told that the event may identify upwards of 10 men who are at an early stage of the disease – this could be a lifesaving visit if there is earlier diagnosis and higher survival.”

Sam Fulling, Managing Director for Saints Foundation, said: “We’re proud to welcome members of the local community to St Mary’s Stadium for this vital health initiative.

“Partnering with PCaSO to offer free prostate cancer screenings reflects our ongoing commitment to making a positive impact both on and off the pitch.

“Early detection saves lives, and we’re honoured to play a role in helping men take that important first step.”

Founded in 2002, and with nearly 1,000 members, PCaSO has three branches in Hampshire, Dorset and Sussex, with 42,500 PSA tests arranged since 2011.

With the support of many local urologists, oncologists and research scientists, the charity is affiliated to The National Federation of Prostate Cancer Support Groups – Tackle Prostate Cancer.

Last year the Hampshire and Sussex branches organised 9,014 PSA tests at 18 locations, a record number of men tested in one year.

Of those, 393 had a red result, requiring further investigation, and 224 with an amber result needing a follow up.

According to Tackle Prostate Cancer, one in six men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime, with the rates even higher in Black men at one in four.

Normally the size and shape of a walnut, the prostate gland grows bigger with age and can squeeze the urine tube which passes through it, causing urination difficulties such as having to repeatedly wee at night and a weak flow.

Having an enlarged prostate can be one of the most common prostate problems seen in men over 50. However, for most men it is not cancerous.

Some men with prostate cancer are asymptomatic – they have no symptoms.

According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 12,000 prostate cancer deaths in the UK every year – 33 a day.

To make a test appointment for the event please book via www.pcaso.org/psa-testing

Ends

This press release was written by Ron Wain at DSM on a pro bono basis. His father, Richard, had prostate cancer in middle age which was successfully removed so he could live a full life.