Campaign for men to check prostate cancer risk

A campaign has been launched to encourage more men to check their prostate cancer risks.

According to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, prostate cancer has been the most commonly diagnosed cancer among the borough's male residents over the last five years.

Research showed it was regularly diagnosed in advanced stages, which required more aggressive treatment and often resulted in poorer health outcomes, the local authority said.

As part of the "It might not be reyt" campaign, resident Anthony Devonport, who was diagnosed in 2019, urged people to get tested as "it can happen to anyone".

One in eight men get prostate cancer, with the risk increasing for men over 50, black men or those with a family history of the disease.

"My dad's got prostate cancer, he's living with it, he's 81 now, so we are quite well aware of what that means as a family," Mr Devonport said.

"I did notice some symptoms my dad had had, which sort of alerted me to go and get checked."

Since his diagnosis, Mr Devonport said he had made a full recovery and decided to share his story to raise awareness.

"It doesn't matter how fit you are, I'm a cyclist, I go to the gym, I run - it can happen to anyone," he said.

According to the NHS, prostate cancer usually develops slowly, meaning there may not be any symptoms for years.

Possible symptoms can include an increased need to urinate, straining while you urinate or feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied.

While these symptoms could be a sign of a non-cancerous problem, they should be reported to a GP.

Prostate Cancer UK and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council have now created a Barnsley-specific version of an online risk checker, which takes 30 seconds to use and involves answering three questions.

Wendy Cain, the council's cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: "We want to help more men get the possible treatment to beat prostate cancer, which is why we're delighted to be partnering with Prostate Cancer UK on this new campaign.

"By working together and sharing this message across our communities, we can give prostate cancer the chop in Barnsley."

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