Prostate cancer message plea

Oct 22 2009 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

MEN in West Lothian are being sought to help raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Men and their families affected by the disease are being urged to join forces and take part in a pioneering service being launched in the east of Scotland.

The Prostate Cancer Charity’s Scotland team are looking for people who have been personally affected by the disease to get involved and help raise awareness in their local communities by hosting charity information stands and giving talks about their experiences.

Suzy Mercer, head of Scotland operations for The Prostate Cancer Charity, explained: “Despite being one of the most common cancers in men in Scotland, for many people prostate cancer is still surrounded by myth and taboo.

“Hearing about prostate cancer directly from someone who has been affected by it is a really powerful way of spreading awareness of the disease and our volunteers are a vital part of this unique service – without them we can’t deliver it.”

“Until recently we have only been able to deliver this service in the west of Scotland, but now we are looking for people to help us expand our service to reach people in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, Tayside and Perth and Kinross.”

Rob Pearson (61), a retired engineer, was diagnosed with prostate cancer nine years ago after a routine health check revealed there could be a problem with his prostate.

After being successfully treated for the disease, Rob decided to volunteer for The Prostate Cancer Charity and has travelled across the country to give talks about the disease and his experience of it.

He said: “When I was diagnosed I knew very little about prostate cancer even though two of my work colleagues had been treated for it.

“When I retired I decided I wanted to do something positive and use my own experience of the disease to help make other men and their families more aware of the fact that prostate cancer isn’t just something that happens to other people and when the charity launched its Scottish awareness raising service I jumped at the chance to get involved.

“While the idea of getting up and talking to a room full of strangers can be daunting for some, it is wonderful to know that you are helping to empower men and their families to be more aware of their health.”

The Prostate Cancer Charity are hoping to recruit 15 new volunteers by November to help them deliver their outreach programme.

All of the volunteers are people who have been affected by prostate cancer and are experts in what it is like to live with the disease and don’t need to have any specific skills.

All volunteers will be given training and ongoing support from the charity, for more information or if you are interested in volunteering, contact Jacky Sivell on 0141 314 0050 or e-mail scotland@prostate-cancer.org.uk.